Browning paper
by Niveous Lilt
Summary: All Sasuke heard was cancer. It repeated itself over and over in his mind echoing off the walls.... Naruto had cancer..Naruto has cancer....sasunaru
1. Artist eat Ramen!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and or Gaara. but then again neither do you. ha-ha**

**_Chapter 1: artists eat ramen._**

Naruto winced as the bell rung into his left ear. Great! not only was he late for school but he was soaking wet. 'Stupid rain and stupid landlord.' he mumbled as he stomped down the hallway making as much noise a possible. if he was having a bad day what gave those prissy dry kids the right to have a good one?.

Naruto sighed. He knew he was being unreasonable. But who could blame him. Naruto hated this place, and he hated this school, and most of all he hated the kids inside of it. When his case worker Iruka had told him he would be attending _konohas' school for gifted children _he hadn't been to pleased. Like most kids he believed he had some talent, and apparently so did this school. Before he had been accepted he had never thought he would be artist. Or rather could be an artist for a living, and it had taken him a long time to admit he was an artist, and not just a art student.

Naruto had lived alone as long as he could remember, anything before that was jumbled memories and clips of families he had burned into his sub conscious. Families he had seen on t.v..and wished that he could have one day. He had pictures of his parents. But pictures can only do so much, and chasing the monster out of the closet was not something they could do. So Naruto grew up strong.

But then again Everything hadn't been that bad so far. He had been given a new apartment closer to the school: courtesy of Iruka, And he even had his own ride. If you could call that piece of junk that. His 1989 Toyota was practically falling apart and was in desperate need of a paint job. But it ran. And as long as it ran he could get to school-not necessarily on time- but to school never less.

Naruto blinked as he finally stopped in front of the front office. The door's handled gleamed as though it had been polished with silver a few minutes before, just for him. Feeling rather important Naruto pulled opened the door only to run into a firm wall. He looked up to meet the most stunning pair of green eyes he had ever seen. Like melted leaves and gold, oddly enough the eyeliner surrounding them didn't put him off like it normally did. Instead of making him look dark it enhanced his face and he looked almost like a demon. A beautiful demon.

Suddenly those eyes weren't so pretty anymore as the boy shot him a nasty glare and Naruto literally felt like daggers were being shot into his head. He winced and rubbed his temple absent-mindedly.

"Watch where you're going " a cold voice said quietly. It was quiet but It held an unspoken threat.

Ah !so it did speak. He noticed with some satisfaction that he wasn't much taller than him. Which meant he wasn't the only vertically challenged person here. Yay for him.

Unfortunely Naruto had a bad habit of spacing out when he thought ,sometimes stopping completely in the middle of something to sketch something or to write down an idea.

Gaara glared at the little blonde boy who had magically pulled out a mini sketch pad and kept glancing at him with this stupid look on his face. The look a little kid gets when they know a secret.. And you don't. but you say you don't care and really you do and its driving you insane .Gaara didn't like secrets being kept from him. It angered him.

He blinked suddenly as he was poked in the cheek.

"Hey buddy don't space out like that" the boy grinned.

Gaara didn't reply. The boy shifted uncomfortably before shifting his backpack onto his right shoulder and sticking out a small hand.

" Sorry for bumping into your wall. I mean your chest..I mean you. Anyway I'm sorry. My name is Uzumaki. Naruto Uzumaki"

Kami-sama this boy had beautiful eyes. The lightest blue with specks of silver.

Gaara lightly took the boys hand. It was soft.

"Hello Naruto..my name is Gaara"

Naruto smiled and blinked. "Just Gaara?"

Gaara couldn't help but smirk back.

"Just Gaara" he confirmed and stood aside so Naruto could enter the office.

Naruto grinned again. He was good. Not only had he gotten a new art subject , but he had made a friend. Pretty good for his first day of hell.

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Mahwah my friends this is the first chapter of many. Ho'kay for those of you who are rather slow and like to skim through the summaries. I should warn you again that this YAOI**. Boy on boy**. Pairings will eventually be Naru /Sasu. sorry all you Gaara/Naru and Neji/Naru fans but this is not your time to shine. lol. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Though I will continue this with or without them.

You guys rock!


	2. Who's Afraid Of the Big Bad Wolf?

**Declaimer: don't own. Not real. don't sue.**

**Chapter 2: Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?**

Naruto made his way over to the semi circle desk, that took up the whole front part of the office. The lady behind was busy typing away on a computer stopping every 15 seconds to pop her gum. Naruto cleared his throat a little louder as the women seemed to not hear him the first 4 times he did it.

She looked up surprised. Her dark hair fell into dark brown eyes. Naruto took this time to read her name tag. 'Shizune' was labeled neatly in big round letters.

"hello miss. Shizune. My name is Naruto and I came to get my schedule"

She blushed and hurriedly began sorting through some papers.

"Um..may I get your last name?" she asked quietly. Not making eye contact.

"Uzumaki."

She sighed before getting up and making her way into a door Naruto had not seen at first. Naruto glanced at the office clock. He had been at school 42 minutes already and the day was slowly looking up. Naruto glanced at the door hoping Gaara had forgotten something. Any familiar face among the strangers in the office would have been welcome.

He didn't notice Shizune had returned until she thrust a almost blindingly white piece of paper into his face. He took it carefully.

"School stars at exactly 7:15 Mr. Uzumaki. If you are late there will be consequences. We have 3 lunches. "A" lunch ,"B" lunch and "C" lunch. You will find out which one you have by checking what hallway your third period class is on. E and F hallway means you have "A" lunch. G and H means you have "B" lunch and halls B and A means you have "C" lunch." she paused to look briefly up at him.

"Do you understand?"

Naruto nodded. She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry its' not so bad after a while, do you know where your first period class is?"

Naruto ran a hand through his tousled spikes.

"Lady I don't even know where I am"

She laughed. "Well then we'll just have to get you a tour guide." she glanced around the office. Naruto looked too. He scanned over a few kids waiting in line to get late passes, and a girl dressed in all black was muttering to herself, twiddling with the pentacle around her neck.

Shizunes' voice knocked him out of his daze.

"Neji! Over here!" she waved her arm wildly.

Naruto followed her gaze to a tall male with dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. He looked up when Shizune called him again and Naruto gasped. The boy had the lightest lavender eyes. So light that they looked white. They made eye contact and Naruto blushed. The boy straitened his shoulders and walked over to the blonde.

" Good morning miss Shizune." he said addressing the woman. He nodded his head in Naruto's direction.

Shizune giggled and waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal.

"Neji just call me Shizune. Miss makes me feel old."

Neji smiled politely.

"Of course Shizune" He paused. " was there anything you needed?"

Shizune blushed.

" yes Mr. Uzumaki needs an escort. He's new here" she smiled at the blond.

Neji nodded. " Freshman year can be though."

Naruto glared. " I'm a junior" Neji blinked. And his face twisted in amusement.

"I'm sorry Mr. Uzumaki I just assumed" Neji said.

"Well you know what happens when you assume. You make an ass out of you and me" Naruto said with a grin.

Neji did not look amused.

Naruto's grin faded. "Get it? because assume… ass out of you and me?. Because…ya know?"

Neji smiled His light eyes twinkling. " Oh I get the joke Mr. Uzumaki, its just that I've never heard anything so lame in my life."

Naruto flushed. 'lame?' who did this guy think he was? His jokes were not lame. There was no way. You know what? This boy was lame. Yep! That's right Neji was lame. From now on he was gonna call him lame-o man.

" Shall we get going?" Neji asked holding out his hand.

Naruto sniffed and brushed by him ignoring the offered hand. He muttered a hasty goodbye to Shizune and walked quickly out the door. The silver handle did not gleam as he approached it this time. Mocking him. Telling him he was no longer important in the eyes of the school.

Neji and Naruto walked in relative silence. The sound of their uniformed shoes clicking on the tiled floor. Somehow Naruto had taken it upon himself to count the tiles in the hallway, and was totally devoted to the task. Or he was until he got bored. Naruto inwardly took a deep breath.

'Oh how he hated the silence. It was always there. Everywhere. Naruto didn't like the silence. when he was younger .He would sing to himself. Or make up little conversations he would have to his friends. If he ever had any.

Naruto didn't like the silence.

Naruto began to hum a tune in his head, and without realizing it he was soon half singing half humming the song. You know when you just know a line or two so you hum through those until you reach another line you know.

_"You are my sunshine. My only sun shine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."_

Neji glanced at Naruto who was humming now. Adding a word here or there.

Neji grinned to himself. This kid was interesting. Not to mention beautiful. Neji glanced at Naruto who was now walking with a skip and spinning whenever he reached a green tile.

His blonde hair moved with each step and his eyes lit up with happiness. He was literally the Polaroid of perfection. Even the whisker like marks on his face were perfect. Like they had been painted there.

Neji joined Naruto his own smooth tenor combining with Naruto's alto. Naruto smiled when Neji sang the words he didn't know. And letting him catch up when they sang the parts he did. It all ended way to fast and Naruto found himself in front of a class room door. Naruto looked down to look at his schedule and he cursed when he realized he must have left it in the office. But that wasn't right. He specifically remember brushing past Neji and -- OH yea! he remembered now. The slight pain in his right temple had come back with vigor and the surprise had made Naruto drop the schedule. SHIT!

Neji enjoyed watching the range of emotion go across Naruto's face. Confusion. Then anger. Then sadness.

Neji sighed and pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his jacket pocket.

"Looking for this Mr. Uzumaki?"

Naruto looked at the paper and practically cried with relief when he was his schedule crumpled in Nejis' hand.

" You dropped it when you were leaving" Neji said with a smirk.

Naruto gave him a grateful smile. " Thank you Neji! You're a life saver"

Neji smiled and turned to make his way to his own class.

"Good bye Mr. Uzumaki" he called out behind him.

"Naruto"

Neji stopped. "What?"

Naruto shot him a fox grin.

"You can call me Naruto" and as soon as he had come he was gone disappearing inside of the classroom.

The class looked up when the door slammed behind a rumpled looking blonde kid. He stood up as strait as his height of 5'4 would allow him and strode up to the teachers desk. Refusing to look up from the floor he handed the teacher his schedule.

The teacher blinked at the boy. Before lazily scanning the schedule.

"ok kid. Everything looks good. My name is Hatake Kakashi. You can call me Kakashi. This is 11th grade math. Welcome. Take a seat anywhere"

Naruto blinked as the teacher placed his head back in his arms and proceeded to take a nap. His sighed before looking at his classmates. The room was silent. Everyone observed him and he observed everyone else.

He grinned we he spotted Gaara sitting by himself the desk around him empty.

Making his way though the evil mass of deck he finally plopped down next to Gaara. Who gave him a nod to show he knew he was there and offered him one of the ear plugs that were hooked up to his ipod. Naruto beamed and took one eyeing it warily before replacing tit into his ear.

He smiled as the rough voice of Louis Armstrong filled his head. And for the first time he felt he had really found a friend. He settled as comfortably as he could in the hard brown desk and leaned his head back.

Oh what a wonderful world.

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Lol well if you didn't get he last line. What wonderful world is a song by Louis Armstrong. It rocks the socks lol. Thank you to my reviewers:

louvieee: lol my first review! You inspire me. This one is longer lol.

CaptainLydia: you like me -cries- you really like me.

only-getting-darker: …write more or die..?yes..master!

Red Asatari: lol I updated!


	3. Drawing What I See

**Disclaimer: don't own. don't sue. Wont eat you**.

**Chapter 3: Drawing what I see.**

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**A millions words would not bring you back, I know because I tried. Neither would a million tears I know because I cried. **

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Naruto walked outside idly kicking the grass as he went. He watched in rapt fascination as wet dirt slid off his brown once white shoes leaving noticeably darker stains as it went. He repeated the process until it started to pile. Then dumped it back where he got it from . Making the ground look out of order and uneven.

Naruto loved days like this. After the rain. Iruka used to tell him that god made the rain to wash away all the sin from the world. And when it was done nothing but purity and good people remained. He told him that after he got beat up for the first time. Every day when he got home from school he would watch for the rain. Naruto used to believe in that story, like he used to believe in god.

The bell rung. He was late. Suddenly music appreciation didn't seem fun anymore. All he could do was wait now. In 30 minutes he would see Gaara again. Art. He remembered when art was something he did because he wanted to. Before schools Not because he had to.

Making his way deeper into the abandoned courtyard Naruto kept an eye out for teachers. It would be hell to explain to someone why he was skipping on his first day. He blinked as he came to an overpass. Vines hung dangerously low over an old gazebo that stood out in all of the greenery. Minding the water he made his way over to it. He gasped. This spot almost seemed forbidden, not meant for human eyes.

Naruto jumped as an twig snapped under his weight. A bird tweeted nearby. Soon another joined. They flew around his head. Inviting him into their two person choir.

Naruto sat down on a dry peace of bench that had been shielded by the rain and took out his sketch pad. He reached into his pocket a pulled out a lame dull pencil with teeth marks in it and began to sketch.

At first it was just a jumble of lines, a eye here. A beak there. More lines .And slowly it began to form a picture. The rough lines looked at home on the thick paper. The birds essence trapped inside the picture. Naruto shaded the beaks and added a dew drop to a wing .He chewed the end of pencil before adding a ribbon around the neck of the other. He held up his masterpiece loving how the sunlight bounced off of it. One of the birds landed on his shoulder and tilted his head. Almost as it was inspecting it. It tweeted happily and flew off whistling all the way, Naruto grinned.

"Yea I like it too"

The bell rung, and Naruto loaded up his stuff singing a goodbye to the birds. And casting a mournful look backward at the gazebo which now looked almost like a piece of heaven as streams of sunlight highlighted the white wood.

When he entered the school the euphoria he felt earlier instantly vanished. Leaving him with an heavy dread in his stomach. Naruto made his way down an deserted 'B' hall. Before finding his class.

You could tell it was old just by the door. The once gold lettering had peeled off so it read 01 instead of 201. And the hall smelled of paint and clay. Naruto inhaled deeply. He pushed the heavy door open and headed into the classroom. Naruto couldn't hide his disappointment when he didn't see Gaara.

Instead a pale boy with spiky black hair looked up at him. In the light Naruto could decide if his eyes were black or brown. But with a sudden turn of his head Naruto concluded they were red. Bloody red.

Naruto made his way to the teachers desk. He smiled at the almost comical man in front on him. The look on his face held utter concentration as he scribbled something hastily in what seemed to be another language. Naruto always thought it was ironic that every art teacher he ever had had bad handwriting.

The mans white hair stood out among his red clothing and he looked almost like a living peppermint stick. He tapped his foot again and waited for the man to look up.

A few more minutes passed and Naruto was thoroughly pissed off. But yelling at his teacher wouldn't do. Especially since he didn't know how they treated their students yet. He glanced around at the pictures on the white walls.. Most he recognized. Monet, Edward hopper, Picasso, Pam Anderson. Wait! Pamela Anderson? And sure enough in the middle of starry night and scream there was Pamela Anderson. In nothing but a bikini and thong.

He jumped when the mans gravelly voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Art is art my dear boy and some is more revealing then others."

Naruto blushed when he winked at him.

"Um hi. I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm in your class."

"Apparently. Ok Naruto you can sit by. Mr. Uchiha. You're in luck. We've just started a new project, we're working with the creative writing class. Basically someone in that class will write a story and you'll paint a picture for it. See me after class for the full details of it. we start each class with a warm up . Which is just a 25 minutes sketch. And the other hour you have to work on your project. Got it?"

"OF COURSE!" he flashed a victory sign.

" Wait. Who's Mr. Uchiha?"

"That would be me dobe."

Naruto whirled around to see the guy from earlier looking calm and collected on his easel. He flushed angrily.

" What did you call me?"

The teen smirked. " Dobe"

Naruto clenched his fist and bit his lip. " And what does that mean?"

The boy smirked again " I would tell you. But you might break your brain thinking of a retort"

"WHY YOU LITTL---" Naruto ran forward but was tugged back violently by a still smiling teacher.

"Naruto since your new here you should know. I tolerate just about everything. But fighting isn't something you want to do in front of me."

The man sounded deceptively nice.

"Clear?"

Naruto nodded. " Crystal Mr. Jiraya."

Naruto stalked over to a smug Uchiha.

"Oh and boys.."

They looked up.

"Detention this Friday"

At this moment suicide was looking pretty good to Naruto

Class started easily enough. Gaara finally walked in. the bell announcing his arrival. And took the seat next to Naruto. The black haired boy, (or Sasuke as the giggling girls in the back had call him) and Gaara's eyes clashed. They greeted each other as if it hurt to say each others name.

"Gaara"

"Uchiha"

"Naruto"

They both looked at him.

He blinked innocently. " What? we weren't playing the name game?"

They both ignored him.

Jiraya walked lazily to the front a pulled a stool to the middle of the classroom. He then placed a bowl of fruit on top of it

"Draw what you see." he simply said and trudged back to his desk.

Instantly the class began to draw. Naruto followed.

Naruto drew the fruit quick enough, but it looked empty and unfinished, So he added design to the bowl and a bruise to the banana. Shading in shadows where there were not any before.

He heard Jiraya walk around the room. Complimenting some of the students. He held his breath when he heard him turn into his row.

Finally he stopped at Naruto's.

"Very good Naruto, but not what I asked for."

Naruto looked confused.

"I told you to draw what you see"

Naruto frowned.

"I did"

Jiraya looked amused.

" Since when did my green bowl have roses on them? And my banana does not have a bruise in it. Its good Naruto, I'm not saying it isn't. but I told you to draw what you see. Not what you want to be there."

And he walked away moving on to another's painting commenting then moving on.

Naruto sat there. Watching the rest of the class. Their drawing staring back at him. And he felt guilty when he found himself thinking how much better his drawing was than everybody else's.

Naruto blinked back tears. He never could take criticism well. Sighing Naruto crumpled it up. And began a fresh page. Leaving the fruitempty and unfinished.

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Another chappie done..hmm not very long is it? Oh welllll..

Thankies to my reviewers:

Suicidal Affair: thank yooo

ravemastaj: I agree kakashi does have super hearing!

Kakashi: I heard that!

Me: eep!

blue-genjutsu: thankies. I loves you.

louvieee: don't we all wish we had an earpiece for what is an ipod without a rockin Gaara earpiece! Order your Gaara earpiece now for just 19.99 yep folks just 19.99 plus 50 dollars shipping and handling.

angel61991: thank you. That means a lot

Sir Elliot: lol thanks. But didn't you hear? Gaara is Louis's biggest fan!

only-getting-darker:..yay no threat. But you know I updated just for you.

Kuraitsubasa : -cries- thank you.

faerie-killer: thanks for the tip.!

AngelKelley17: thank you.!


	4. Shadow'

Disclaimer: don't own! And you know this…man!

**Chapter 4: 'Shadow'**

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_**Time is fleeting, indeed, and one should ne'er think to waste such a precious thing as time. No' not ever.**_

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Naruto skipped English. Instead opting to go home. The rain had ceased by the time he got to his car, and it seems lady luck was on his side because it took less than 22 minutes to start it. On his way out of school he passed Neji. Who stared back disappointingly. Naruto drove fast down the streets of konoha. Leaving every thing that had happened at school and Neji behind him. The drive home was quiet, mostly because Naruto had no working radio.

He slowed when he entered his neighborhood. It was of course closer to the school. But still as bad as his old apartment. The building itself was run-down, with 3 elevators and only one working one. The windows were shattered and replaced with cheap plastic, and the whole building smelled of raid and stale bread.

In his old apartment he could barely pay the rent. Sometimes he even had to borrow money from people you didn't want to borrow money from. His neighbors consisted of prostitutes ,druggies and gay people who had been kicked out and were living on the same salary as him. They weren't the Brady bunch but they were his family. Unfortunely vacancies don't last long in that part of town. So Naruto was the tenant who had lived there the longest.

To pay rent Naruto worked part time at a club bartending. The hours were bad, and the customers sleazy, but it paid the bills, and the food…and for gas. He first became infatuated with ramen at the orphanage. When he found out it was so cheap he was soon eating it every night.

He remembered one particular lady that had caught his interest. Her name was Shadow. That was the only name she would give. He later found out it was Anna Marie Donahue. She was pretty for her kind of profession, with long thick red hair and piercing sad blue eyes, But lack of food and sleep had made her pale and sickly, and her ribs protruded through her tube top.

Whenever Naruto was down in the dumps she took him in and told him stories about her life. Some were funny, some were scary, but most of them were just sad. She always gave him something to eat when he was there. Even when she hadn't eaten herself. She told him she had two sons in Rhode island; Kerugma and Mamoru . Whenever she talked about them. Her eyes would well up with tears. Then suddenly Naruto was the adult. And he was patting her on the back…telling her it would all be ok.

A few months before Naruto transferred schools Shadow died. Naruto didn't know if the exhaustion had finally caught up with her. Or if it was a broken heart. Either way she was gone, and nobody cared but him. And her pimp, Like I said vacancies don't last long.

Naruto cleared out her apartment, because he knew they would just throw out her stuff…. Her memories. Naruto swore one day that her would find her sons. And tell them about their mother, and what a wonderful woman she was. He still had all of her things. --The few things she had- stored in the back of his closet. And he planned on keeping them. She had this one broken mirror that had a crack going down the middle of it. But carved around it there were Latin words. Naruto later translated them, and found out it said.

_' lord please forgive me. For I have sinned' _He knew shadow must have carved it into it. When he moved he brought it with him and in turn finally took her away from that hell hole they called home.

Naruto blinked when someone tapped his wind shield. He had been sitting in the apartment parking lot for a while now. And the sky had begun to bleed into a reddish yellow. He looked up to see the Tsundae glaring at him. He groaned as he rolled down his window.

"Yes?" he asked rolling his eyes so she could see how annoyed he was at her.

She smirked " Brat is that how you show respect to your elders?"

Naruto growled and deliberately swung the door open wide. She moved out of the way barley avoiding a hit to the knee.

Tsundae was the building landlord. She was a evil bitch if Naruto ever saw one, But she made sure Naruto ate something other than ramen every once in a while. He brushed by her blushing when his arm Lightly passed over her breast. Naruto was gay. But that doesn't mean he didn't appreciate beauty…. in every form.

Naruto didn't make eye contact as he stood in the dingy elevator, the other occupants didn't seem to mind, as they were too wrapped up in their own sadness, and despair. Jasper, the pole dancer who lived in the apartment next to him was staring at something on the wall with something akin to horror. Naruto followed his gaze. In rapt fascination Naruto watched a cock roach crawl up the wall and pause. Contemplating its next move.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he reached his floor. Elevators always made him uncomfortable. Naruto walked down the dark cold hallway to his room and pushed the door open. The door was unlocked. It was always unlocked. He stumbled into the poorly lit apartment and collapsed on his worn red couch that he had found in a dumpster outside of a _big lots.._

He turned on the TV ,it had been a gift from Iruka and watched a documentary on black widows.

The male voice started out quiet and steadily gained volume as the wild life sounds increased

_'Black Widow spiders inhabit most warmer regions of the world to latitude of about 45 degrees N. and S. They occur throughout all 4 deserts of the American Southwest.'_  
Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and focused back on the TV screen.

Startled Naruto fell off the couch. By now the little light that had been outside had faded and the apartment was dark. Except for the blue glow the television gave off as the voice droned on about _oxi- clean_. Naruto half walked half crawled into the kitchen and squinted to read the microwave

The fuzzy numbers read '3:25' shit!

He had fallen asleep.

He Had homework.

He wasn't planning on doing it.

Naruto left the TV on simply for the background sound as he made his way into the bedroom. The room was small but comfortable. You could tell it had been lived in before him. The walls had been painted so much they had faded to a permanent gray.

His headache was back.

Now that he was in the room. He didn't want to get up to get the aspirin.

He hoped sleep would cure it.

He knew it wouldn't.

He had been having headaches like this for the past 8 months. He knew he should have Been alarmed. Because that could mean that he was out of remission. That his cancer was back.

He couldn't afford for that to happen not again. He had been in remission for two years. And the past…. seemed like it never happened. But he knew it did. He had the scars to prove it. The blue dotted line of the base of neck where they had used the gamma ray. And the hair he had saved. When he had first begun to lose his from chemo-therapy.

For those reasons he knew it was real, and that it could happen again. But now that he was alone. Who would help him through it now.?

When he was younger he had the orphanage and after that he had Shadow and Iruka. But with Iruka not around so much anymore and Shadow dead. He was alone. All alone.

A cock roach skittered across the ceiling and Naruto wondered if it was the same one from before. Turning his head Naruto saw a spider web in the corner. The spider on it seemed content. As it spun its dinner into a cocoon. And viciously bit down into it. Naruto wondered if this is what god felt like. He could go over there and destroy that spider with a simple wave of his hand. Is that what god saw Naruto as? a spider who could be destroyed?

Naruto willed his eyes shut and tried to force himself to sleep, willing the pain away with his thoughts. Away…away.

All he had now was time. And even that was slowly slipping away.

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Lol those x's are just there to take up space….are they working? Good. So how'd ya like this chapter….really? That bad?…oh..sorry…well yea..reading over my chapters I realize I have a lot and I mean a lot of times where I mention god. I'm sorry if that offended any body.…….I LOVES YOU GUYS!

THANK YOU TO MY REVIEWERS.

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ravemastaj: …mwahhaha I knew Naruto had mind powers!

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	5. You Got A Friend In Me

**Disclaimer: don't own. don't care. don't sue.**

**Chapter 5: "You got a friend in me"**

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**Most people don't know who they are..that's why they lie. They're afraid someone else will figure it out before they do.**

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Naruto showed up for school the next day tired and irritable. He even snapped at Gaara when he asked what was wrong. Gaara didn't seem offended though, he looked more understanding than anything. Naruto fell asleep in most of his classes, and refused to paint in art. Even Sasuke looked concerned, or as concerned as someone who made no facial expressions could be.

Later that day Naruto found out an interesting fact. He had _drama_ with Sasuke. Which was just great, just fucking great. The teacher though, was anther story. How could Naruto describe Gai? Sparkly, shiny, scary as hell? The weird thing was that he spent the whole class period talking about Kakashi, something about them being "eternal rivals". It wasn't until he was nudged in the side did he realize Sasuke was sitting by him.

" He does this at least once a week"

Naruto nodded. He didn't know what to say back.

"Yea…'

Yea? Yea…wow how embarrassing. 'Yea' implied that he knew that already and probably made him sound like a smart-ass. Shit! How did he manage to embarrass himself in front of the hottest guy in school?

_'Because I'm just that fucking talented' _he thought sourly.

They sat in a comfortable silence. Naruto sneaking curious glances at Sasuke from beneath his bangs.

Naruto sighed.

"So…what's up"

Without missing a beat Sasuke replied. "The sky"

Naruto rolled his eyes.

Naruto was about to ask Sasuke what he was doing here when suddenly a shrill high voice that made Naruto jump echoed across the room. While Naruto rubbed his ears Sasuke looked unfazed, but slightly irritated when a pink blob of evil; attached itself to his shoulders.

"Ooh" it cooed. " You feel so tense Sasuke" She rubbed her hands across his shoulders.

Naruto supposed it was supposed to be a sexy voice( got that?)….but it came out as more of a nasally squeak, and Naruto almost felt sorry for the bastard...almost. He had looked up 'Dobe' in his local library, and you know what it meant? Dead fucking last.

That really pissed him off. So that is why ladies and gents he wanted Sasuke to suffer. And he wanted him to suffer hard.

"Sakura get the hell off"

"But Sasuke you need someone to take care of you. I mean after what Itachi did that….thing… to your parents….you've had no-one to care for you" she tucked a piece of hair behind Sasuke's ear.

The bell rung and Naruto left, casting one last look at a fuming Uchiha. He walked outside. It was the last period of the day and it felt wrong to waste it indoors.

He grinned when he saw his friend Haku. They had met in gym class when Naruto had basically told him he had the flattest chest he had ever seen, turns out Haku was a boy since the day he was born. Who'd figured?

He ran up behind him a put a finger on his lips to signal silence to Zabuza, Haku's boyfriend. Who was currently talking to Haku with a slight smirk and staring strait at Naruto.

Tiptoeing forward Naruto put his finger in his mouth and shoved it into Haku's ear, making sure to turn it a few times before pulling it out.

Needless to say Naruto got his ass kicked, but he was laughing to hard to care. After Haku left with Zabuza. Naruto sat alone underneath a old tree in the middle of the schoolyard. He didn't want to risk going to his special spot when students were out here.

Naruto thoughtfully nibbled on a apple as he taught over what Sakura said earlier about Sasuke.

_'Who was Itachi? And what did he have to do with Sasuke?'_

When Naruto looked a Sasuke he thought he saw something familiar, he just couldn't place what it was .Sasuke was a arrogant jerk who probably had bigger stick shoved up his ass then some of his teachers, but he was….Different? The logical part of Naruto's mind told him he wouldn't know if he was different or not. He had just met him, But still….

Naruto looked around the school again. School was over and almost of the students had gone home. A few kids stood near the bike rack cracking loud jokes at each other and pushing each other roughly into the chained bikes. Naruto couldn't help but laugh along.

Wind swept across Naruto's face and he reveled in the cool air. Closing his eyes as his heated skin heated rapidly. Looking up he saw Sasuke walk across the grass, and open up a rusted door on the side of the school building. Naruto being a curious kid got up and followed him. Careful to put his spy skills to good use. The _mission impossible _theme played in his head as he did a particular difficult jump on to the stairs Sasuke had just ascended.

After a few minutes Naruto was breathing heavily and was just about to call it quits, the _mission impossible _theme had stop playing, and instead he had begun to chant to himself.

'I think I Can. I think I can…Oh god please don't let me die on these steps with this bastard' over and over again

Finally he saw a beam of light reflected on the stair in front of him. He stepped out into the bright sunlight and almost wished for the dark musty steps again. He was kind of surprised when he saw he had ended up on the school roof.

Sasuke sat at the edge of the building swinging his feet and smoking a cig. He didn't turn around.

" Didn't anyone ever tell you its rude to spy on people?"

Naruto chuckled.

" Yes…but they could never understand the life of an agent."

Sasuke smirked.

" So Mr. Bonds. Why are you following me?"

"I was not following you!…I saw that some stairs were there. So I thought ' I wonder where those go' and you just happened to be here. So maybe Mr. Sasuke you are following me!"

Sasuke snorted.

" As if I'd follow a dobe like you"

Naruto huffed and moved forward to sit on the ledge by Sasuke.

Silence. More silence. A cough. 'puff ' exhale 'puff ' exhale 'puff ' exhale

" I'm sorry"

"For what dobe?"

" For not helping you.. ya know when that Sakura girl came"

Sasuke stared strait ahead.

" Don't worry about it..I don't"

Naruto nodded.

"So…. You smoke?"

"No. someone told me it had sugar in it so I've been sucking on this cigarette to see if I could get it out"

" Oh…. So no luck then?"

Sasuke took a deep drag.

" Nope"

" So. What did she mean about the whole Itachi thing?"

Sasuke visibly stiffened and his face turned pale. He clenched the fingers he had around the cigarette.

"Shouldn't you be getting home?. Its getting late your parents might worry"

"Dead"

"What?"

"My parents are dead"

"Oh..sorry"

He didn't look sorry.

"…I don't remember them much…"

Sasuke didn't speak.

"Itachi killed them"

"What?"

"Itachi killed my parents…he fucking killed them both, and he didn't care, he didn't fucking care."

Sasuke was trembling now. His eyes flashing red with fury.

" And the bastard left me alive. I wished he could have killed me too…just stabbed me in the heart"

"You want to be dead" it came out more like a statement than a question.

"Yes"

"That's terrible"

"That's life"

"…Life…"

They sat in silence. A deep dark silence..

A occasional noise bringing them back to reality.

"Sasuke?"

"Yes'

"Does this make us friends?"

"Ya.. Guess it does."

"I've never had a friend before..you and Gaara"

"…I've never had a friend..ever"

"……..Well you've got me now"

" Don't turn this into a mushy moment Uzumaki."

"But," Naruto looked sad.

" I was hoping…when this was over we could paint our nails and tell each other our secret crushes"

Sasuke didn't answer. He didn't need to. The amusement in his eyes told it all. The cigarette had burned down to nothing, and Sasuke had yet to light another.

And Hour later they agreed they should leave, And they parted ways. Naruto to his apartment , back to the memories and pain, and Sasuke back to his mansion ,back to the images of Itachi and the stench of blood, That never seemed to leave the walls.

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**Hola mi familia! I know some of you were…upset. About the whole cancer thing..haha well I'm sorry about that. . He has or..he had a brain tumor that has..had slowly spread. He had it before but they temporarily stopped it. He was in remission. So…sowwy guys DON'T KILL ME!**

…**if it makes you feel better there will be some Gaara/Neji next chapter…see how I make up for my suckiness?**

**Thanks to my reviewers.i'll respond to each of your reviews next chapter. let me remind you guys its rated M for 'hot steamy boy love in about...-counts on fingers- 2 chapters! thanks!**


	6. Dont care what the walls say they lie

Disclaimer: I do not own. Please don't sue. Wont have to eat your offspring.

Chapter 6: Don't care what The walls say. They lie.

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_**Next door TVs flashing blue **_

_**frames on the wall  
It's a comedy of errors, you see;  
it's about taking a fall **_

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Gaara and Neji walked side by side out of the band room. To an untrained eye it would seem as if they just happened to be leaving at the same time and were headed the same way. Naruto saw the chemistry. It was barely noticeable, but Naruto saw how Neji would smile brilliantly at Gaara, his eyes lighting up, and Gaara would blush so quickly you would think it was a trick of the light. Naruto was a lot things, but he wasn't blind.

And because he wasn't blind he knew it was he duty to tease Gaara and Neji about it until they cracked. Sometimes Naruto even surprised himself with the genius of his reasoning. Naruto casually walked up beside them and pretended to totally engrossed in their conversation.

" It was obviously a B sharp, not a B flat. That idiot doesn't know what he's doing" Neji said.

Gaara snorted.

" I agree, and the fact that he could even imply that I was off key…"

Naruto sweat dropped..ok..this was gonna be harder than he thought.

"Hey guys'

They blinked at him.

"Naruto" Neji smiled, though it wasn't as big as the one for Gaara. Naruto smirked.

" I was walking by and heard your…. Riveting conversation about…" he made a face "band"

Gaara smirked.

"Naruto do you even play an instrument?" . Normally that wouldn't have pissed Naruto off nearly as much as it did, but it was the way he had said it, with arrogance.

Naruto huffed.

"Why do you seniors have to be so mean?…and just so you know I played the recorder in middle school."

"Speaking of music Neji are you seeing anybody?."

Gaara looked away and pretended to study a poster for the spring musical on the far right wall.

"Not interested Naruto." Neji smirked and switched his messenger bag to the other arm.

"Bye Gaara see you on Saturday" and he was gone leaving behind the faint smell of tag body spray. mmmmmm

Naruto grinned.

"So. Panda man..whats happening Saturday?"

Gaara ignored the new nickname. Either that or he hadn't heard.

"Neji and I have to do a band project together. We're meeting on Saturday"

Short and sweet, one of the reasons Naruto liked Gaara.

"So…that's all your meeting for..?" Naruto wiggled his eyebrows.

Gaara nodded. Then cast a suspicious look over at Naruto.

"Why? Do you know something I don't know?"

"Why panda-man. If I was to tell you it wouldn't be a secret anymore." he put a finger on his lips to make his point.

Naruto liked this feeling. The feeling of having something over someone else. He smirked at Gaara.

"Dobe what are you smiling at?"

Crap! the feeling was short lived however as he recognized the silky voce of Sasuke Uchiha. who just happened to be standing right in front of them.

Sasuke looked at Gaara with disgust.

"Naruto do you want to eat lunch with us?"

He put a emphasis on Naruto's name.

'Us'..Naruto knew who 'Us' was. 'Us' was the popular kids. They sat a huge table in the middle of the cafeteria , surrounded by the wannabe popular kids. The table was creatively named the 'popular table'. normally Naruto wouldn't mind, but Sakura sat at the popular table, and her best friend Ino. Oh god Ino..he had the misfortune of running into her in the hall, that was a experience he hoped to never relive.

Naruto smiled.

"No thanks ice -princess" ha! take that bastard.

"Me and Gaara I sitting with lee. Feel free to join us though"

Naruto had met lee earlier that day. They scary thing was he was like an exact copy of his drama teacher minus the green jumpsuit. But that green jacket he wore over his uniform was almost as bad. oh how it sparkled.

Sasuke frowned.

"Gaara and I"

Naruto looked confused.

"Gaara and you what?"

Sasuke growled .

"No you used a two prepositions in the same sentence…it would be Gaara and I , not Gaara and me"

Naruto shook his head.

"Dude. Problems."

"Uchiha what are you here?"

Oh yeah Naruto had forgotten Gaara was here.

Sasuke smirked.

"Why, following you to your table Gaara. I'm hungry" he looked at Naruto.

"Or was my invitation temporary?"

He grabbed Naruto's arm. And Naruto blushed almost as red as Gaara's hair.

Gaara glared and brushed by Sasuke, "accidentally" bumping into his shoulder.

Turning to Naruto Sasuke smirked.

"Shall we?"

Naruto grinned and gripped Sasukes arm.

" We shall"

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxo

Across the cafeteria Sakura glared at the blonde boy who was walking and laughing loudly with Sasuke on his arm. Ino glanced at Sakura and followed her gaze. Inwardly sighing when she saw Sasuke with Naruto. She had bumped into him earlier and had yelled at him a bit. It wasn't that she was mad at him. He was just in the wrong place..at the wrong time.

"Oi forehead girl"

Instantly sakura turned to her.

"Don't call me that!"

Ino giggled.  
"Look forehead girl. If you keep smothering him Sasuke will never go out with you. don't crowd him. Guys like girl who are smart, hot ,and aloof"

"Smart, hot, and aloof?"

"Yes! You got it!"

Sakura nodded, and turned her gaze back to Sasuke and Naruto.

'Smart, hot, and aloof'

xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxxo

Naruto hissed and clutched his head.

Sasuke who was sitting to his left immediately looked concerned.

"What's wrong Naruto?"

Naruto smiled, and quickly swiped his eyes where the tears had begun to well up.

" Nothing just a headache"

Sasuke frowned.

"It didn't look like just a headache"

"I'm fine"

"Naruto let me take you to the nurse"

"I'm fine"

"But--"

"I SAID I WAS FINE SASUKE GIVE IT A REST WILL YA?"

Naruto quickly got up from the table still clutching his head and made his way out of the cafeteria not making eye contact with the silent crowd.

Sasuke looked confused before his normal stoic expression took over.

He frowned and stiffly got up, glaring at everyone in his way.

Sasuke walked swiftly down the empty hallways kicking at the trash that littered the ground.

He froze when he heard sniffing.

Walking a little slower now Sasuke followed the sound of the crying. He turned the corner and frowned when he saw that the crying was coming from Naruto. He cautiously walked over to Naruto and kneeled beside him.

"Naruto what's wrong?" too harsh. Softer. He reminded himself.

"Naruto..you can tell me" he used a gentler tone now. One a mother uses to console her child.

Naruto hiccupped and looked at Sasuke.

"Promise you wont tell?"

Sasuke nodded and wiped a stray tear that had fallen out of Naruto's eyes.

"Mg nmm mmm mmmm" Naruto said.

"What?"

Naruto took a deep breath

" I think..that my cancer might be back"

All Sasuke heard was cancer. It repeated itself over and over in his mind echoing off the walls.

Naruto had cancer..Naruto has cancer.

It didn't sink in. he felt like he was watching his life through someone else's eyes.

"You..have..cancer?"

Naruto sniffed again.

" I had cancer..when I was younger, and I was in remission. They said..that chances are ..it wasn't coming back."

Sasuke took in a shaky breath.

" And what did they say would happen if it came back?"

"They said..that I probably wouldn't make it."

"Naruto"

Sasuke pulled Naruto into a tight hug squeezing and squeezing. Sasuke didn't know why he was squeezing. Maybe he was trying to squeeze the cancer out, maybe he was trying to suck the cancer in. so many maybes.

"Naruto..what are the chances that you don't have cancer. That its just a headache?"

"I don't know." Naruto grinned. " I was never really good at math"

" Naruto you don't…. have…" Sasuke choked back a sob " you don't have to make me laugh..we're going to cure this ok? I promise. We're gong to cure this"

Naruto smiled and let himself be rocked in Sasuke's strong arms, and just for second he let himself believe.

Back and forth back and forth.

They rocked.

Believe

He let himself believe.

back and forth.

Xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxox

I am so freaking sorry it took me 50,000 years to update. Look I'm not going to write a long excuse..about how I was too lazy and it's wasn't my fault bladdy bladdy blah, but if you really love me you'll forgive me and move on and maybe send me money in the mail.

Make the money order to: 1511 Westwood dr, Marietta, Ga

Lol kidding. Oh yea the whole thing about the preposition. I don't know if that true. I was never really good at grammar. **one more chapter to the hawt steamy man sex!**

Thank you to all my reviewers

Midnight Shining Star: THANKIES!

ravemastaj: you. Scare me…but I loves you!

Amelia : thank you immensely for your review..haha I used a big word.

avila7989: thank you. I would like to thank my mom and dad. And god. For making his possible.

Silent Note: thank you! Omfg I love you name too.

louvieee: I forgive you or not reviewing a chapter. But you must review this one!

Shadow Eclipse: who doesn't love angst? Thank you

Arika-of-the-Demons: yep Naruto's gonna die..lol kidding ….kidding.

urufu-misora: yea you got to be a trooper to read this!

yukaishepards: thank you for your review!

narutomania: yea..its tragic really. It seems I have Long chapters phobia

prettybeka: thank you!

Sir Elliot: yay you reviewed!

senkoed: stay tuned for man sex

death101: lol I updated!

diamond-princess2006: Sakura shall die!


	7. liar liar

**Disclaimer' don't own don't sue..wont eat your babies.**

**Chapter 6: liar liar.**

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**Little Jack Horner sat in the corner  
Eating his Christmas pie,  
He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum  
And said "What a good boy am I!"**

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The first thing Naruto heard when he woke up was a hard pounding at the door. He was actually kind of afraid to answer it. The last time he had company it was some drunk guy asking for Katrina summers or something like that. Naruto snuggled deeper into the covers and waited for it to go away. The knocking got louder.

"Naruto!"

Hmm that voice almost sounded like someone he knew

" Naruto! Open the dam door"

Who was it? Why could he place it?..Sasauge?..Sammy?…

" Dammit Naruto!"

Oh yea! Sasuke!

Naruto quickly scrambled out of bed. Yanking the sheet from around his legs as he went. He cursed when he tripped over a stuffed animal that used to belong to shadow.

"Booboo how could you?" he cast a pout at the bear. Who in turn stared unblinkingly back at him.

Knock''Knock'knock'

Oh shit! The door.

Outside in the hallway Sasuke stood in the most casual clothes he could find ( which consisted of a pair of jeans that still looked new and a perfectly ironed shirt.) tapping his foot impatiently. He knew Naruto was home so he wasn't worried, what worried him was the weird guy down the hall who kept on peeking his head out of the doorway and giggling.

Ok weird.

Finally Naruto pulled open the door looking extremely pissed. Hs hair worse then normal if even possible. The shorts he wore were so short Sasuke had to wonder if they were even boys shorts.

" Hey bastard"

Sasuke smirked.

"Dobe"

Naruto fumed and glared.

"What are you doing here?..its..Saturday..I think" Naruto scratched the back of his head.

Sasuke rolled his yes and shifted his feet.

" Wow the dobe learned his week days. Congratulations. Don't tell me you forgot stupid. I'm taking you to the doctor today"

"Sasuke loo-

"Naruto can you just get dressed?"

Naruto opened his mouth then shut it, then opened it again before spinning on his heel and marching into the bathroom. Before entering he gave Sasuke a haughty look then sniffed loudly. Since Naruto was so polite Sasuke invited himself into the small apartment.

Sasuke eyed the couch with something that was close to horror before deciding that standing was much more good for his health. His lip curled in disgust when he saw a roach scurry out of the light he had turned on.

Scanning the walls he saw a lot of art, a few he regonized..most he didn't. he walked closer to get a closer inspection of one picture that took up most of the wall. He was surprised when he saw Naruto's name scribbled down in the right corner of the painting.

"She's beautiful"

"Yea she was"

Sasuke jumped, and spun around to see Naruto in some obviously old jeans and a orange green day shirt, his newly washed hair still wet fro the shower.

Sasuke ignored him and turned back to the painting.

He had to clench his fist to stop himself from reaching out and seeing if the hair…. The face. …The. ..skin….. Was. real

"Who…. who is she?"

"Shadow"

Sasuke didn't ask who Shadow was. He doubted Naruto would tell him, and in truth Sasuke did not want to know, some things in life are best kept to yourself, something he knew a lot about.

"Sasuke?"

"Yes?"

"Teme I've been calling you for the last 2 minutes. I said do you want to go?"

"Yes…lets go."

Leaving the apartment Sasuke cast one last look at shadows sad face. What made the picture so beautiful he realized, was the eyes, her sad powerful eyes.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Walking down the street with Naruto was a instant head turner, Sasuke doubted even if he would have shaved his head and walked around naked would he have gotten half the attention as he did with Naruto.

The hospital was a good distance away, and Naruto insisted they walk, 'it's a beautiful day' he said ,though the thought of leaving his car in that neighborhood ran shivers down Sasukes spine he reluctantly agreed, if only to see Naruto smile at him again.

They waked along in a comfortable silence ,the street sounds in the background and the shuffle of feet making some kind of arithmetic beat, and even Sasuke found himself walking in intervals to add different tunes.

Eventually it turned into a game and soon instead of

Step .Step . Step. It was Step .Step .Turn. Pause .Step. And maybe a jump at the end.

Sasuke had never had so much fun in his life, and he might have cracked a smile or two. Might.

When they finally did reach the hospital they were giggling like crack heads. They didn't know if it was really that funny of if the heat had finally gotten to them.. It really was a long walk.

But since it was still a Saturday, they had to wait in line. The cheeky receptionist gave Sasuke an what she hoped to be a ' come hither' flutter of the eye lashes.

Sasuke flipped her off and snatched the forms from her.

Most of the questions Naruto didn't know, and they had to make few phone calls to find out.

Sasuke couldn't understand how someone did not know there social security number by heart. Naruto couldn't understand why someone would memorize a social security number.

Sasuke responding by replying

" You don't understand a lot of things"

Naruto then turned his head away and announced quite loudly that he was no longer talking to Sasuke.

Not five minutes had passed before Naruto was talking about something or other, Sasuke had stopped listening a while back.

When Naruto's name was called, Sasuke tensed, and for the first time realized how real this situation was, this wasn't something that could be fixed with a snap of his fingers and a wave of his credit card. This was a real life or death situation , and death took no prisoners.

Sasuke took a deep breath and woke up Naruto who was sleeping peacefully on his shoulder and probably drooling. Waking him up was easier than he planned and Sasuke had to wonder if he really ever went to sleep.

The doctors name was doctor Cortez'

She was a young Hispanic women with short cropped hair and caring hazel eyes, instantly Sasuke warmed up to her.

"Hello!" she said smiling at the two boys.

She scanned her clip board briefly.

" So which on of you is Naruto?"

Naruto raised his hand just as Sasuke said "him" and pointed with his thumb.

She smiled.

"Hello Naruto. My name is doctor Cortez but you can call me Suzan if you like."

Naruto nodded,.

" Ok Naruto I've contacted your old doctors, and they've filled me in on your case. So you think that it might be back? Can I have some symptoms you have been experiencing, any headaches, Nausea or vomiting, Problems balancing or walking,

Changes in mood, personality, or ability to concentrate, memory loss, or seizures?"

Naruto twiddled his thumbs.

" I've been getting headaches a lot lately. And at first I thought you know I'm probably really stressed about being at a new school and stuff, but then they got worse and worse and they keep me up at night, now its gotten to the point where it always hurts , its always there..a dull throbbing in my head. My memory has always been bad, and I have been getting real sick in the mornings and sometimes when I stand up to quickly the room spins"

The whole time Dr. Cortez took this down eagerly nodding after everything Naruto said.

" Thank you Naruto.we'll run some test. But if it turns out that..you're out of remission I'm gonna have to send you to St. Georges ..our hospital is not designed for long term patients."

" So you saying that if its back..Naruto gonna be living in the hospital?"

She nodded sadly.

" Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying"

Sasuke tried to swallow pass the lump in his throat

" So can you explain exactly what's wrong with Naruto?"

Suzan hesitated.

"…A tumor that begins in the brain is called a primary brain tumor. In children, most brain tumors are primary tumors. In adults, most tumors in the brain have spread there from the lung, breast, or other parts of the body. When this happens, the disease is not brain cancer. The tumor in the brain is a secondary tumor. It is named for the organ or the tissue in which it began"

"So Naruto has a primary tumor?"

"No….Naruto is a special case. He is in. or was in the first stages of a secondary tumor, it had already begun to spread to his lungs….and would have eventually reached his heart"

" So how are you going to treat it?"

"Treatment for secondary brain tumors depends on where the cancer started and the extent of the disease."

" Well we fucking know where it started. What are you going to do about it.?"

" We're going to do a CT scan and see where it goes from there.."

"Doctor…please…" Naruto.

She sighed and looked at Naruto sadly.

" We might try surgery, radiation or chemo therapy"

" That's what they used last time. chemo therapy" Naruto spoke .

"Yes. You probably already know the symptoms of chemo…"

"Fever ,chills, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, and weakness…hair loss" Naruto listed them as if repeated it for the 100th time.

"…I cant be entirely sure but they will most likely use radiation therapy.."

At the boys questioning look she continued.

"Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to kill tumor cells. The radiation may come from x-rays, gamma rays, or protons. A large machine aims radiation at the tumor and the tissue close to it. Sometimes the radiation may be directed to the entire brain or to the spinal cord.

Radiation therapy usually follows surgery. The radiation kills tumor cells that may remain in the area. Sometimes, patients who cannot have surgery have radiation therapy instead"

The room was silent. The white sterile walls were of no comfort and each person remained lost in their own thoughts.

" Will it hurt?' Naruto weak voice brought them back to reality with a start.

" Excuse me?"

Naruto swallowed.

" Will it hurt?"

The doctor opened her mouth to speak then looked t Naruto. Really looked at him.

" Yes…it will hurt.."

Naruto nodded.

" Thank you for telling me the truth"

She smiled.

" Of course."

"Can you leave me and Sasuke alone. …For a second..?"

She nodded and turned to leave.

" Naruto you can call me when you're ready to run the tests"

Naruto managed a weak smile.

" Of course"

When the doctor left Naruto's shoulders sagged and the smile dissipated. Naruto's normally tan skin had gone pale halfway through the conversation.

" Sasuke.."

"Hmm.."

" I don't want to die."

Sasuke didn't answer.

" Sasuke you have to promise me something"

"Anything"

"promise me you'll. …Take my virginity"

Sasuke chocked on his spit and began coughing violently.

Naruto patted his back and quickly got up to get him a cup of water form the sink.

Sasuke looked at Naruto

" YOU CANT BE SERIOUS"

" As a heart attack"

" But Naru---"

"Promise me Sauske..I don't want to die a virgin and I want to lose it to someone I …someone…I.."

"Someone you what Naruto?"

"Someone…someone I love Sasuke. someone I love"

Sasuke blinked and wiped whatever warm was on his cheeks away . He was surprised when he saw that it was liquid. Clear salty liquid.

"Sasuke don't cry."

"I'm not crying dobe..and will you stop saying that. Your not going to die."

Naruto smiled.

" Do you promise?"

Sasuke closed his eyes.

" I. promise. For both of the things."

Naruto smiled.

"I'll hold you to that"

He smiled wider before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed on the steel table he had been sitting on. Sasuke gasped and caught him in his arms.

Sasuke heard screaming. It was a loud shrill screaming, one of pain and sorrow, he opened his mouth to tell whoever it as to stop it when he realized it was him. He was screaming and he couldn't help it. And for the second time in 48 hours they rocked, back and forth. Back and forth.

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Another chapter down. Guess what.?.hot man sex next chapter.whoo hoooo! yeayyyyyy


	8. The Moon, The Moon

**Disclaimer: don't own! Back beats back!**

**Chapter 8: the moon the moon**

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**And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.  
They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,  
They danced by the light of the moon.**

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Sasuke watched Naruto's sleeping face and sighed. The nurses had said he had collapsed from the pain. Naruto looked so frail laying in bed, the white sheets making him look almost ethereal. He sighed again and buried his face into his hands. Things were not supposed to be this way. He was supposed to find out Naruto didn't have cancer and that they could go home…together.

Sasuke reached forward and pushed a piece of hair out of Naruto's eyes. His jumped when cloudy blue eyes stared back at him.

"Naruto?"

"No. Sakura"

Sasuke chuckled.

" You gave us quite a scare"

Naruto chuckled.

" You do the same thing everyday when I see your face"

"Oh ha-ha someone's trying to be funny"

"Why try when I can succeed?"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night"

Naruto laughed.

Naruto grunted as he tried to sit up wincing as he did so.

Sasuke bit his lip and sat on his hands. He didn't want Naruto to think he thought he was incapable of doing things himself.

Eventually Naruto pulled himself up, by then a thin sheen of sweat had covered his skin.

He grinned at Sasuke. Sasuke smiled weakly back.

The door opened cautiously and both boys turned to see Dr. Cortez walking into the room.

She looked different today, her normally short hair had been pulled into a loose ponytail. She smiled at them.

"Good morning Sasuke" she turned to Naruto. " Good morning Naruto"

She pulled out his file.

" We ran some test."

She waited.

"And unfortunely…its back"

Naruto blinked. He didn't look surprised. He nodded.

Sasuke clutched Naruto's hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"So…what's gonna happen?"

"Well with Naruto's inusr--

"I'll pay for it."

"What?"

"I'll. Pay. For. It"

She nodded.

"Well then tomorrow he will be moved to St. Georges then we will begin treatment"

Sasuke nodded.

"Can we leave?"

The doctor hesitated.

" Well. Normally we like our--"

She stopped when she noticed Sasukes expression.

"Yes. Please be at St Georges tomorrow."

Sasuke smirked and grabbed Naruto's hand. Without a word he threw Naruto his clothed that had been laying on the chair by the bed and helped Naruto into them while Dr. Cortez removed the iv and other tubes that were hooked up to Naruto's arm.

_"Sasuke you don't have to pay for it."_

_"I know"_

Sasuke smiled at Naruto when they walked out into the street. The sun lit everything in the street , making the tall sky scrapers that surrounded them glow.

Sasuke turned to Naruto.

" So what do you wanna do now that you're free Mr. Bonds?"

Naruto tilted his head to feel the sun on his face. The warmth felt so good. He turned to Sasuke with a serene smile on his face.

" I want to go the park"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"The park?..whats at the park?."

Naruto's blue eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Everything" he laughed and took off down the street.

"Race ya"

Sasuke shook his head but nether less began to run after the laughing blond.

He slowed down when he saw Naruto standing at the park entrance.

"Aren't you going to go in dobe?"

Naruto smirked.

"Ladies first teme"

Sasuke laughed when Naruto walked slowly in., his eyes wide and filled with wonder.

"I was never allowed in the park when I was younger"

Sasuke frowned.

"Why not?"

"Children my age had to be accompanied by a adult, and no one at the orphanage would take me. But on my way to school I would always pass this park."

Sasuke didn't speak. The park was empty and quiet. The leaves swirled around the ground, and their shoes made a scuffing noise as it hit the pavement.

Naruto waved at a women jogging by. The women smiled back.

Naruto's hand reached into his pocket, and came out with an old piece of torn paper. You could tell it was old because the edges were brown and it was crumpled so badly the words on it were illegible.

Naruto took a long look at it before reaching forward and tearing off a piece of the paper.

He took the little piece and held it up to sun. before letting out the breath he had been holding. Naruto let the wind pull the paper from his hand. Sasuke watched this all in awe. The boys movements were so precise ,so graceful, so beautiful.

Sasuke swallowed the spit that had welled up in his mouth.

"What was that?" Naruto didn't answer right away.

"You see this" he held up the brown paper. " Every piece of this paper represents something I want to do before I die. When I complete one of them I tear off a piece of paper, and I send it to my parents."

"Your parents?. But I thought they were--"

"They are. But its my way of showing them that I'm still living my life. I do it so they wont be sad and think that I hate them, for dying. It wasn't their fault."

Sasuke licked his lips.

"How did they die?"

"The police told me that my dad must have been driving really fast that night. It was raining. I remember because the power had gone out, and my baby sitter didn't like the dark..so it was raining, and dad couldn't see, and he didn't see the oncoming car. By the time he did it was too late , and they collided. Dad died instantly but my mother who had been in the passengers seat died slowly. She was impaled in the kidney and she slowly bled to death.

They put me in therapy shortly after that, and they kept saying it was ok for me to be mad at my dad. It was ok. But its not okay. They want me to be mad at him for dying, for something he couldn't control. Iruka..you haven't met him yet. He's my case worker. He told me I should do something to show that I wasn't mad at them. I used to blow up orange balloons and let them go. Orange was my dads favorite color, but I think they appreciate this more."

Sasuke smiled and continued to walk with Naruto down the winding lane of the park

" You know." Sasuke said after a few moments of silence. ".I think they appreciate it more too"

When they finally got back to Naruto's apartment the sun had almost completely gone down, leaving the air cool . The ride up to Naruto's apartment was quiet ,But not an awkward quiet. A comfortable quiet. One you only achieve after finding true happiness with yourself. that's how Sasuke felt.

Naruto opened the door and glanced back at Sasuke. He smiled at him and gestured with his head at the Door.

Sasuke nodded.

Naruto's house at night was different. The walls were not so dirty and the couch suddenly not so dingy. The view from the window was breath taking. Almost as once Sasuke saw what Naruto liked in the apartment ,utter peace. Yea..that's what it was…. peaceful.

Sasuke blinked when he saw Naruto standing in front of him ,looking very nervous.

Naruto took a deep breath.

"I don't know how to start.."

Sasuke raised a eyebrow.

"Start what?"

"I want you to make love to me"

" You were serious about that weren't you?."

"Yes."

"There's no turning back after this"

"I know"

Sasuke nodded. Slowly he leaned forward so that there noses were almost touching.

" Dobe' he whispered before taking Naruto's lips into his, kissing him with weeks of pent up feelings, kissing him with the desperation he felt, the sadness, the fear. And Naruto kissed back with equal passion . The kiss got harder and rougher Sasuke pulled Naruto as close as he could , when Naruto could get no closer .He pulled him closer still.

Naruto pulled away to get some air, his face was flushed and his eyes were a dark midnight blue. They were beautiful and Sasuke found himself drawn to those beautiful eyes.

Asking Naruto later ,he couldn't tell you when he realize he was no longer wearing clothes. He couldn't tell you how they got to the bedroom. He couldn't tell you how they had made it to the bed. But asking Naruto later he could probably tell you exactly how Sasuke looked in the moonlight, every exact detail down to the piece of hair that hung in Sasuke coal black eyes.

Naruto winced when Sasuke entered a lubricated finger into his opening. It wasn't' painful. Just uncomfortable. Like putting on a bathing suit that was to small.

Soon that feeling turned to pleasure, and he wanted more of it. He moaned and pushed against the fingers.

"More" he yanked at Sasuke hair.

Sasuke moved Naruto's legs so that they were on his shoulders. He placed the tip of his manhood at Naruto's entrance. And slowly pushed in.

Naruto groaned. Sasuke froze.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Naruto frowned and pushed his hips upward, impaling himself on Sasuke huge erection. He cried out in pain. Sasuke began to pump in slowly, then faster. Angling his hips so he hit that one spot n Naruto that would make him scream his name.

Naruto closed his eyes tightly. All he felt was pain. Intense pain. He cried out in pleasure when Sasuke hit that bundle of nerves inside of him.

He moaned and moved his hips to meet Sasuke's hard thrust.

"Harder" he whispered.

"Faster" a little louder now.

Sasuke pulled out almost completely then slammed in hitting the spot instantly.

"Oh god Sasuke!"

"Say my name Naruto"

"Harder Sasuke" Naruto arched off the bed, needing more of the sweet torture Sasuke was giving him.

He thrust harder and deeper and faster.

"Say it"  
"Sasuke!"

The walls around Sasuke dick tightened.

Naruto moaned loudly and yelled out Sasuke's name, coming all over there stomachs. Naruto's face alone was to make Sasuke come, but the clenching of Naruto's walls were just too much and he came hard and fast inside of Naruto.

They lay there in the aftermath. Sweaty and sticky from their love making.

Sasuke pulled out of Naruto and rolled over to lay beside him.

"Wow" Naruto said after a while.

Sasuke smirked.

"Yea I know.."

Naruto grinned at him.

"Actually I just realized that I left a 20 in my pocket.."

He giggled when Sasuke's smile faded.

"But you were pretty good yourself"

Sasuke nodded.

" How are you feeling?"

"Better than usual"

"Tomorrow you're going back to hospital"

"Yea I know. Look, can we just not talk about it? Cant you just hold me for tonight?"

Sasuke nodded and pulled Naruto into his chest. He knew what tomorrow meant. No more pretending that Naruto was going to be alright. By going to the hospital tomorrow they were sealing Naruto's fate. They were accepting that there was something wrong with Naruto. They were putting there lives in the hands of people who didn't know one thing about them and they were powerless to stop it, tomorrow meant the end of happy ever after and the beginning of reality.

Late that night when Sasuke will be sleeping in Naruto's tiny twin bed. Naruto will untangle himself from Sasuke's grip. Quietly so as to not wake Sasuke he will pull the scrap of browning paper from his jeans lying on the floor , tearing off two pieces. He will open the window and watch them fly away swirling around each other, higher and higher into the air. And he will know that his parents wouldn't be too upset to find out who he had come to love.

_And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.  
They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,  
They danced by the light of the moon. _

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**Wow summers here and the time is right for dancing in the streets….ok..weird. So I'm not gonna respond to your reviews this chapter, because to tell you the truth I don't feel like it right now. But I want you guys to know I check every day for new ones and when I get them I feel so happy I almost cry. Omfg they're almost to 100. I've never had 100 reviews. Thanks you guys for making it possible.**

**-ixheartxyaoi.**


	9. when you wish upon a star

**Disclaimer: don't not own…**

**Chapter 9: When you wish upon a star.**

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**I used to think **

**I had the answers to everything**

**But now I know…**

**That life doesn't always..**

**Go my way..**

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Naruto licked the envelope before sealing it and neatly writing 'Gaara' in cursive.

Sasuke sat in a chair by Naruto's bed.

"Is this really necessary?"

Naruto looked up, a dazed and surprised look on his face.

"Yes" he said this slowly.

Sasuke nodded.

The drugs that they had put Naruto on had made him slow and sluggish, his eyes were almost always cloudy and confused, they were almost always filled with pain. Sasuke knew he hurt, he knew he must hurt real bad.

"Sasuke. When you go to school tomorrow please give these out for me"

Sasuke frowned.

"I am not going to school tomorrow"

"Yes. You are."

"No"

"Sasuke I will not let you risk the chance of gradating early for me."

"That's alright. I didn't ask for your permission"

They glared at each other. Black verses blue, determination verses pain.

Sasuke looked away.

"Look, I'll go to school tomorrow but I'm coming back as soon as it ends"

Naruto looked relived.

"Are you sure you want them to know?"

"Yes. they're my friends."

Sasuke didn't say anything. He didn't have too. Naruto knew what he was thinking.

"How are you feeling?" Sasuke changed the subject.

"Like I just got knocked in the head with a baseball bat"

"So. Pretty well then?"

Naruto chuckled.

"Yea"

Naruto stared at the ceiling. Since he had entered the hospital he had done nothing but stare at the ceiling. There was nothing beautiful about it, no intricate design. But it was the simple ness that made Naruto love it so much. He had already counted ever tile. All one thousand, forty of them.

Sasuke didn't like the ceiling. It was plain and ugly. Sasuke like the walls. They were a light blue, like Naruto's eyes, with little yellow sunflowers on them. Sasuke liked it because it reminded him of Naruto. But then again lately everything was staring to remind him of Naruto.

"Sasuke"

Sasuke looked up

"Yes?"

"Are you tired?"

"No"

"Liar"

Sasuke smiled.

"Maybe just a little"

Naruto sat up with some difficulty and move over in the small bed.

" Come on"

Sasuke looked confused .

"What?"

"Get in the bed..please"

Sasuke scowled . He was a sucker for the puppy do look, or maybe he was a sucker for Naruto.

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The next day Neji and Gaara were there bright an early. When they went to ask what room Naruto was staying in the nurse clucked at them in disappoint before giving them directions. Neji was missing a student council meeting for this.

The hallways were almost a blindingly white. Drawings and coloring sheets were everywhere. They were all messy, but somehow they fit.

Laughter. Loud laughter coming from the open door down the hall.

"Unca Naruto lift me next"

More laughter.

"Me next! Me next!"

"Ok Chris wait your turn!"

Gaara smiled inwardly and peeked around the corner. He almost laughed at the sight.

Kids. a lot of them. They were everywhere. All over Naruto who was laughing and lifting them all up, one at a time.

Sasuke sat in a far corner looking extremely pissed. Neji did laugh when a little girl crawled on to Sasukes lap and yanked at the bangs that were hanging in his face.

Naruto's head snapped up.

All at once Neji and Gaara saw how much Naruto had changed. he was paler then usual, and his hair limp..less gold. His eyes though were the same .Alive and vibrant.

Sasuke smiled. He was glad Naruto was doing good today. He had his good days and bad days, today was a good one.

"Wow I cant believer you guys came to visit..'

Gaara nodded. Neji smiled. Naruto bit his lip.

"Look guys I hope your--"

"Here"

Suddenly a yellow sunflower was thrust in his face. He looked up surprised at Gaara.

"How did you know this was my favorite flower?"

Gaara glance over at Sasuke, then shrugged.

"Lucky guess"

Naruto grinned at him.

"Thank you.."

A shrill scream brought them out of the silence.

"It's the boogey man" Kelly screamed.

Kelly was a little girl of eight, with leukemia. He didn't know all the details. Kelly wouldn't tell him anymore.

Naruto laughed.

"No that just my friend Gaara!"

"Frewnd?"

"Yea..friend.."

She smiled a shy smile.

A young volunteer walked in, looking extremely nervous.

"G-good morning N- Naruto. S-Sorr y….. but its time for the kids lunch.."

"Ok Hinata."

Hinata blushed and quickly ushered the kids out of the room, glancing at Neji from time to time with something akin to fear.

"Naruto how do you know her?" Neji's voice was cold and demanding.

"She volunteers here. She's really nice. Why ?do you know her?"

"..She's my cousin."

"Ha! I knew you guys were related. You guys have the same weirdo eyes"

He grinned at Neji.

"Now Naruto, that isn't a nice thing to say to someone.."

"I know Iruka, bu----IRUKA!"

Standing in the doorway was a smiling man with a grey suit on. His brown hair was pulled into a high pony tail on the top of his head.

He walked fully into the room.

"What are you doing here Iruka?"

"I heard you got sick again, so I came to visit.." he blinked at the others in the room.

"Oh hello"

They all nodded.

"Iruka theses are my friends. This is Gaara, Neji and the one over there who looks like he wants to kill all the cuteness in the world is Sasuke"

Iruka smiled at them all.

He walked up to stand by Naruto's bed.

" So how you been doing?"

"Great, what about you Iruka? are you still dating the hottie form Florida"

That was always a joke between Naruto and Iruka. Iruka's last girlfriend was a girl named Diane who worked at a firm in Florida, Naruto had thought it weird that all of Iruka's girlfriends were from Orlando ,Florida since they lived in Konoha, Kansas. So whenever Iruka got a new girlfriend, they would call her the hottie from Florida..it was a stupid tradition but a tradition never less.

Iruka laughed.

"No we broke up about two weeks ago. What about you Naruto? Found some special lady yet?"

Naruto blushed.

"I don't take kindly to being called a girl"

Iruka looked up.

"Excuse me?"

Sasuke stood up and walked lazily over to Iruka.

" I Said I don't like being called " he leaned closer to Iruka's face. " A girl"

Naruto blushed darker.

"Sasuke get off. you're scaring him..Iruka. This is my boyfriend Sasuke."

"Boyfriend..?"

"Yea"

Iruka laughed loudly.

"Well its nice to meet you Sasuke" he held out his hand.

Sasuke grudgingly reached forward and took Iruka's hand in his.

"No the pleasure's all mine"

Iruka pulled up a chair.

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Soon they were all laughing and telling stories, most of them about Naruto. Sasuke learned that Iruka could remember every detail of Naruto's life, but could not remember if he had eaten or not the night before.

When it was time for them to go, everyone was reluctant to part ways. Iruka hugged Naruto tightly, and kissed his forehead promising to be back tomorrow.

Gaara awkwardly patted Naruto's shoulder and tried to smile, but it came out as more then a friendly smirk.

Neji hugged him as well, and promised that he would collect all of Naruto's homework from his teachers.

Naruto didn't want to thank him, but he did. Homework ugh!

Then it was just him and Sasuke.

Alone.

In the room.

Alone.

Sasuke still looked mad despite the evening they just had.

He turned after a moment of silence to look at Naruto

"Why do you let him hug you?"

"Let who?"

"Hyuuga…."

"Sasuke he's my friend"

"Naruto cant you see he just wants one thing.."

"And what thing would that be Sasuke?" his tone was clipped and cold now.

"You know Naruto!"

"No I do not! Enlighten me"

Sasuke growled.

"It's the way you act around him Naruto, all flirty. Your such a goddamn tease.."

"WHAT?"

"Don't play dumber than you already are dobe"

"How dare you.."

"What? point out the obvious? So have you let him fuck you yet? You seemed to let me screw you into the mattress pretty fast. Who's next Gaara? And then Iruka? You're such a -"

SLAP!

Sasuke blinked when he felt his head snap to right.

Standing in front if him stood Naruto, but not nervous as he was the last time. This time he was angry. His small lithe form was heaving. No doubt it took a lot out of him to get out of bed so fast. The IV and tubes that were once connected to his arms lay discarded on the bed.

Naruto could barley breathe. All he saw was red. Blood fucking red.

He slapped Sasuke again.

"You fucking bastard…how dare you accuse me of sleeping around."

Sasuke glared.

"Well if you---"

"Shut up!. Shut up and get out."

"Naru--"

"I said get out!"

"Fine. I'll send Neji in on the way out!" and then Sasuke was gone. The silence seemed so out of place, and the room still echoed with the yells of their argument. Naruto took a deep gasping breath and sat down on the bed. The tears came soon after that. They came hard and fast and loud, and Naruto couldn't stop them. Rivers and rivers of tears. Rivers….

Sasuke stormed out of the room knocking down the nurse in the hallway. He stumbled into the elevator and pressed he button again and again. The fucking button wouldn't work. He pressed it again and again grinding his thumb into the button.

He was bleeding. Sasuke watched his thumb bled in fascination. The pain felt good. The pain almost overshadowed the guilt..almost.

Sasuke ran out of the elevator as soon as it reached the first floor. He ran fast. He didn't know where he was going. Just that he was running. It wasn't until he made it to the park did he stop.

The coolness of the night felt good against his hot skin. He was hot. His lungs burned, and it was so hot.

He collapsed on the ground, his head at his chest.

"Beautiful night isn't it?" Sasuke spun round and came face to face with Kakashi. Dressed in a light jacket and a scarf covering his mouth.

Sasuke didn't reply.

Kakashi walked closer.

"Something bothering you Sasuke?"

Sasuke didn't answer.

"I usually come out here to think, and reflect. ..so what happened?"

"How do you know something's wrong?"

"I'm a ninja. I know everything"

"Look, I'm not in the mood for your lame jokes."

Kakashi eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Jokes?"

Sasuke scowled

"I think I screwed something up real bad"

"Nothing some super glue and some tape cant fix I hope"

"No… I don't think that will help"

"…What happened?"

"I yelled at Naruto.."

"Ah. the little blonde boy.."

"He's sick"

"I figured as much. He's missed my class 3 days in a row"

"No. He's really sick"

Kakashi nodded.

"I don't know. If he's gonna live…"

"Wow. That's tough"

"Yea..and if he dies. I don't think I wanna live. I cant live without him. I don't want to sound sappy, but I love him. So fucking much.."

"Is that what you guys argued about?"

"No. I called him some things I shouldn't have.."

"……So apologize"

"I cant apologize after what I said"

Sasuke sighed.

"You can always try"

"But what if he doesn't accept my apology"

"Then you tell him what you just told me"

They sat in silence. Watching the stars, the moon, the life.

When the first rays of the sun filtered over the trees Sasuke stood up.

"Well thanks for staying with me last night"

"No problem Sasuke good luck"

Sasuke grinned.

"Thanks again."

Kakashi turned and watched him walk away with a smile on his face.

"So different from Itachi..but so much alike" he mumbled, and turned back to watch the sun rise.

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Aww guys..I'm leaving in about five minutes to visit my aunt in louisiana. so I wont be updating for two whole weeks. I hope this chapter makes you happy..next chapter Neji and Gaara get together, and will Naruto accept Sasuke's apology? Stay tuned next chapter.

**Chapter 10: I don't why..perhaps she'll die..**


	10. I don’t why… perhaps she’ll die

**Disclaimer: don't own. don't sue.**

**Chapter 10: I don't why…. perhaps she'll die.**

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**There was an old lady who swallowed a fly  
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - perhaps she'll die!**

**There was an old lady who swallowed a horse...  
She's dead, of course! **

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Naruto laughed as Iruka told him a joke about Tsundae. The laugh was obviously forced.

Iruka sighed.

"What's wrong?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

"Its nothing. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night"

Iruka nodded. He knew better then to push Naruto for information With his constant mood swings it could be disastrous.

"So where's Sasuke?"

Naruto flinched.

"Out"

"Oh..ok"

Iruka's stomach gave a loud growl. He laughed.

"Well I guess it's lunch time. I'm going down to the cafeteria. Do you want me to get you anything?"

Naruto looked up at Iruka hopefully

"Ramen?"

"Sure! Miso right?"

Naruto grinned.

"You know me too well Iruka!"

Iruka smiled affectionately and got up to leave.

He turned back to look at Naruto from the door.

"Don't go anywhere"

Naruto laughed.

"Darn! You have discovered my plans."

Iruka grinned before proceeding down the hallway.

A few minutes passed and Naruto had begun to doze off when he heard a slow methodical knocking at the door.

"Come in! Iruka that was pretty fast!"

The door opened and a dark head peeked in.

Naruto immediately stiffened.

"Uchiha"

"Naruto look I---"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Please Naruto just let me explain"

Naruto sighed and looked at Sasuke, he really looked. Sasuke's normally neat hair was disheveled and limp, sticking out in all directions. it would had been comical if not for the deep bags under Sasuke's eyes.

"Ok you have 5 minutes"

Sasuke took a deep breath and ran a pale hand through his hair.

"I know that the things I said are unforgivable, and I was out of line. I know that you would never cheat on me with Neji.."

Naruto nodded.

"I would understand if you never want to talk to me again. but Naruto I want you to know, I love you. I fucking love you." Sasuke let out a shaky laugh.

"Naruto you are my everything, my sun..my angel, my reason for living…"

"Sasuke be quiet"

Sasuke immediately closed his mouth.

"Sasuke…those things you said. really really hurt." he took a deep breath. "But if growing up like I did taught me anything, it taught me how to forgive, and especially to forgive the ones you love. so I guess…we're alright."

" Y-you love me?"

"Wow bastard for a genius you sure are slow...wheni told you earlier i meant it"

"Wha--"

Sasuke suddenly found a warm mouth covering his. Naruto nipped at Sasuke's lips, coaxing Sasuke's tongue into his mouth. He was awarded with a low moan from Sasuke.

They jumped apart when Iruka opened the door loudly.

"Naruto they didn't have Miso so I got you--OH!"

Iruka blushed and hurriedly used is free hand to cover his eyes.

"Sorry. I'll come back later"

Naruto blushed.

"Iruka you don't have too"

Naruto's words fell on deaf ears as Iruka was already halfway down the hallway trying to cool his heated face.

"Now where were we?"

"N-Naruto was about to go to radiation"

Both boys looked up to see a very nervous Hinata.

"Hinata!"

"H-hello Naruto. I-I- have to e-escort you to r-radiation, for your surgery"

Naruto grinned.

"Well Sasuke I guess we're gonna have to finish this later"

Sasuke pouted.

Naruto pulled himself out of the bed and walked slowly over to the waiting wheelchair.

" Don't worry Sasuke" Naruto said as he sat down.

"This will take no time at all"

Hinata began to wheel Naruto away.

In the hallway there was silence.

The grin Naruto once wore had vanished only to be replaced with a troubled frown.

"Something w-wrong?"

"No. just thinking"

**scene**

"So what do you think about the Uchiha and Naruto?" Neji asked.

"I don't"

Neji laughed at Gaara's short answer,

"Oh come on not even a little comment?"

" Do you want me to kill you?"

Neji ignored him.

"I mean what do you think about them. Together?"

"Honestly I thought Naruto could do better"

"Ah ,so you have a opinion"

Silence.

"Can I have your advice on something?"

Gaara glanced at Neji's expressionless face

"Whatever."

"Well ,I like someone."

Gaara's chest constricted painfully.

"Really?"

"Yea, but I don't know if this person likes me back…"

Another painful jab.

"Ask her."

"Him."

"What?."

"Ask him."

Ouch. Gaara winced.

"Ok, So ask him."

"I don't want to lose his friendship."

"Hmm."

"So I should tell him?"

"Sure"

Neji nodded.

They sat in a short silence. Neji with a calculating look on his face and Gaara rubbing his chest absentmindedly.

Gaara flinched when he felt Neji's hand on his arm.

"Are you alright?"

"Yea"

"Ok"

"Gaara?"

"Yea?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Gaara suddenly felt this throat go dry. For the first time in his lifetime Gaara felt as if he couldn't breathe, and he welcomed the feeling.

After a an eternity of silence.

"Yes"

Gaara gasped as Neji pressed his lips to his. It was wasn't really a kiss, just a mere touching of lips. But it sent sparks up and down Gaara's spine. Sweet electricity.

Gaara wanted more.

He pressed his lips harder onto Neji's.

He moaned when he felt Neji's tongue tentatively touched his.

Gaara unconsciously tightened the grip he had on Neji's shoulders.

"GAARA!" Temari yelled

They pulled away from each other, until a thin stream of saliva was all that connected their bruised lips.

"GAARA WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING UP THERE"?"

Gaara caught Neji's eye and smirked.

"Working on my band project" he bent forward to capture Neji's lips again

**Scene.**

"Naruto please try not to move"

a disembodied voice floated from somewhere in the room.

Naruto shivered at the cool metal against his stomach.

"Ok Naruto we're going to try something called stereotactic radio surgery A highly precise form of radiation therapy that directs narrow beams of radiation from different angles at a brain tumor or abnormality. we're going to use a device that keeps the head completely still, this way we can minimize the amount of radiation to healthy brain tissue."

"Ok.."

"Suzan will you set him up?"

"Yes, of course"

Naruto grimaced. as dr. Cortez connected placed a cool hand on his back.

"Naruto we're going to give you something to help you sleep while we enter a skeletal fixation"

Naruto nodded.

He winced when he felt the needle enter his skin.

'Shit! why couldn't they just use sleep gas or something like that'

Naruto breathed deeply.

He blinked when suddenly a man in full white stepped up to him.

He mumbled something incoherent to another figure in white.

Then everything was black.

Pitch black.

Soothing black.

**Scène**

Sasuke paced the room running hands over his face. It had been over 2 hours and Naruto had yet to be retuned to him.

He ran a hand through his hair again.

"Calm down Uchiha"

He yelped and met the eyes of a very smug looking hyuuga, and a very pissed off looking Gaara. He almost laughed when he noticed Neji's arm firmly around Gaara waist.

"Hyuuga.." he didn't bother acknowledging Gaara"

"Uchiha you look like shit"

"Hnnn"

Silence

"Where's Naruto" Gaara spoke this time.

"I don't know. I asked the nurses and they said he was getting some kind of surgery"

"What?"

"The way they explained it..Stereotactic radiosurgery works the same as all other forms of radiation treatment. It does not remove the tumor or lesion, but it distorts the DNA of the tumor cells. The cells then lose their ability to reproduce and retain fluids. The tumor reduction occurs at the rate of the normal growth rate of the specific tumor cell. In lesions such as AVMs (a tangle of blood vessels in the brain! Lol pretend I'm not here .), radiosurgery causes the blood vessels to thicken and close off."

" The shrinking of a tumor or closing off of a vessel occurs over a period of time. For benign tumors and vessels, this will usually be 18 months to two years. For malignant tumors and metastatic tumors, results may be seen as soon as a couple of months as these cells are very fast-growing."

Sasuke said this all in monotone.

"Did you fucking read a book on it?"

"Look I just summarized it for you. So get off my fucking back!"

"Can we all just refrain from cussing in here?"

Three heads turned to see a very pale Naruto.

"Naruto" Sasuke said relived.

The nurse wheeled Naruto further into the room.

"What happened?" Gaara asked.

"I don know. I was asleep, but they start radiation tomorrow"

"It's gonna be alright from here on out" Naruto smiled.

"Everything is going to be fine"

**scène**

"Itachi! Itachi!"

The young women gasped as she came face to face with two bloody red eyes

"Yes?"

The women gulped.

"W-well you told me to keep you updated on your brother"

"Ah yes Sasuke..how is he doing?"

"Well. He was spotted in the hospital.."

"Is he hurt?"

The tone was uncaring.

"N-no..but his boyfriend is."

"Boyfriend?"

"Ye-yes. He has a brain tumor"

"Hmmm. Well I think it's only polite if I visit and offer my condolences. don't you?"

She nodded.

The women shivered as Itachi passed her. She didn't dare move from her spot. Disobeying Itachi would surely mean death.

After all no one messed with California's' number one assassin.

"Oh and Becky?"

Her name was Sarah..

"Yes?"

"If you ever walk in here without being invited again ..I will kill you . Make no mistakes about it"

She shivered again as Itachi slammed the double door's behind him.

She knew he meant it. He always meant it.

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**Hey guess what? I came back a week early just for you guys, this chapter sucks because I'm kind of in a funk right now. Ya…so I tried to answer all of your reviews but gave up. Got to like 7 of them before my fingers fell off…so. I'm sorry guys. Just know that it means the world to me that you continue to review. even if you hate it! Lol the chick at the end is no one important in the story, she's itachi fuck-buddy!**

**Love you guys!**


	11. I ain't missing you at all

**Disclaimer: don't own don't sue.**

**Chapter 11: I ain't missing you.**

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_**I hear your name in certain circles ..**_

_**And it always makes me smile**_

_**I spend my time thinking about you**_

_**And its almost driving me wild**_

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"Kisame ready my bags"

"..Itachi?"

"We're taking a little road trip"

Kisame stared in shock as Itachi quickly crossed the room to the phone.

He looked back.

"Now."

Kisame rolled his eyes and slowly got up keeping his eyes on Itachi the whole time.

"Yes master" he snickered as he said it.

Itachi ignored him.

Itachi waited until Kisame was fully out of the room and dialed a number from memory.

"Hello" he purred silkily in the phone.

"Itachi ,its been a while" the voice said.

"Yess it has"

"You're coming back"

"Yes"

"I didn't miss you…"

"I know…kakashi"

No goodbyes were exchanged as Itachi hung up.

There were never any goodbyes.

This was not love,

They both knew it.

It was pure attraction.

pure sex.

**Scene**

Sasuke rubbed Naruto's back as he vomited his dinner into the porcelain toilet bowl.

Naruto moaned.

"Are you alright?."

"Just fucking great!."

Sasuke nodded and continued to rub Naruto s back.

He winced as Naruto dry heaved.

"Don't fucking touch me!"

He quickly removed his hand.

The nurses explained that this was some of the side affects of the radiation. When the radiation targets brain tissue it targets the good and the bad. Reactions are normally caused from swelling in the brain tissue.

They had warned him to watch out for mild to severe decreased intellect, memory impairment, confusion ,and personality changes…. among other things.

"Come on Naruto, lets get you back to bed"

"I'll go to the bed whenever the fuck I want"

Naruto had been increasingly mean to him since he had first started radiation, but the harsh words were better than not remembering at all, Sasuke didn't know if is heart could take that.

And on top of that he had been getting numerous calls from California…he didn't know anyone in California. Did he?

He held Naruto's hand as he slowly climbed into the bed.

Sasuke made to go to the chair that sat by Naruto's bed when he felt a firm squeeze to his hand.

"Will you stay with me…please?"

Sasuke nodded and Sat on the edge of Naruto's bed, leaning against the headboard.

"G'night Sasuke"

"Goodnight Naruto… love you"

Silence.

"Love you too"

**Scene**

"Who was that on the phone?"

Itachi whirled around and looked at Sarah( lol the girl from the last chapter)

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to know who was on the phone." she ventured closer.

"Was it a friend of yours?"

Itachi remained silent.

In a blink of eye he was in front of her.

She cried out when Itachi's hand connected with her face.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he snarled.  
She whimpered s he moved closer to her face.  
"You answer me when I speak to you"

"Itachi I'm so Sorr-"

"Shut up!"

She instantly clamped her lips together

"Kneel"

"What?'

Another slap.  
"Kneel bitch"

Silent tears fell from her eyes. The blonde fell to her knees.

She didn't look up as a zipping of pants was heard.

She hissed as Itachi grabbed a handful of her hair.

He yanked.

"Since you care so much I'm sure you won't mind bringing me off"

"But Itachi!"

He hair was yanked again.

Sobbing lightly now she leaned forward so that her mouth just barley touched Itachi's erection.

She gasped when her head was pushed forward forcing her to take him into her mouth.

She tried to block out the world around her as her head moved back and forth. Back and forth.

All the memories of Itachi rushed before her eyes.

Their first date

_**Back and forth**_

The murder of his parents

_**Back and forth**_

The murder of hers…

_**Back and forth**_

Itachi asking her to move away with him…

_**Back and forth**_

The first beating..

_**Back and forth.**_

She tried to move back as Itachi came in her mouth.

He pulled her hair harder.  
"Swallow it all"

She shook her head.  
"Swallow!"

She sobbed as she swallowed as much as she could, most of it spilling own her chin onto the carpeted floor.

Itachi threw her on the ground.

"I'm going on a trip…I know you'll be here when I get back"

He looked at the mess on the floor

"Clean it up" he said.

She nodded mutely. There wasn't much more she could do. She loved itachi. He didn't mean those things he did, he couldn't mean them. He told her he loved her. He always said it, when it mattered.

She wiped her tears away with the back of her arm.

_When it mattered_

**Scene**

Sasuke breathed deeply. The spell of sunshine and outdoors filled his nose. He looked down and met the groggy blue eyes of Naruto.

"Sleep well?" Naruto asked a bit of playfulness in his voice.  
"The best I had in a long time" Sasuke answered seriously.  
"Suzan is coming to tell us the results of my last test"

"Suzan?"

"Dr. Cortez"

Oh yea. He had forgotten.

"When?"

"I don know. that's why I woke you. I don't think you want her to see you right now"

"Why?"

Naruto grinned and reached into the dresser by his bed pulling out a little mirror Iruka had dropped off.  
"See for yourself"  
Sasuke Rolled his eyes and glanced in the mirror.

almost screaming in horror.

First if all his hair….. Was just scary. He had dried drool on the side of his mouth, and a pillow mark on the other. In other words he looked like hell.

"Shit"

"My words exactly"

He pushed Naruto's arm playfully. He could tell today was going to be a good day.

"Why don't you go get some clothes from your house.." Naruto said.  
"What?"

"You've been here since I got here. I know you must be tired of wearing the same outfit over and over again."

Sasuke nodded.

"So why don't you just go home get you some breakfast and come back.?"

He frowned at Sasukes doubtful look.

"I'm gonna be ok… pinky promise." he linked fingers with Sasuke

"Ok..I'll be right back"

He cast one last look at Naruto's face to last him the walk home.

He needed the air.

It wasn't really a long walk to the Uchiha estate, the hospital being in the better side of town.

Sasuke shivered when he entered the house. Not just from the cold but from the heavy aura that surrounded him as he stepped into the living room.

Everything still smelled like Itachi…

He hurriedly ran upstairs and opened his door shoving random clothes in duffle bag that was behind his door.

He ran to the bathroom and threw in his toothbrush and some shaving cream.

The hospital had provided it for him in the past two weeks but he felt he needed his own. The ones he had marked as his.

He blinked when he noticed he had paused in front of Itachi's door.

He hadn't entered Itachi's room since that night. he had always felt Itachi was some how still in there and that he would know. As a child he was never allowed to go into Itachi's room unless he was invited.

He was hardly ever invited.

Shaking himself out of his reverie Sasuke made his way downstairs, slamming the door on his way out.

The walk back to the hospital seemed longer but for some reason he felt more relaxed.

Sasuke walked along and actually allowed a smile to cross his face he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply . He exhaled quickly though ,when he ran smack dab into a lithe form.

She cried out and fell back heavily on to the sidewalk.

"Sorry miss" he held out his hand " My fault"

She looked up and screamed.

"I'm so sorry Itachi! I just had to come back was planning on--"

"Itachi?"

She blinked at him, quickly pulling herself up she looked at him

"Who are you?" she muttered more to herself.

"Sasuke Uchiha.."

"Oh! Then your. …His brother?"

"How do to know Itachi?" his tone was harsh now.  
"Oh I'm sorry for running in to you"

"Who are you?"

She shook her head.

"So sorry. Sorry"

In an instant she took off down the street running as if the devil himself were chasing her.

Sasuke stood therein shock.

"Itachi..?"

His brother?. His reason for the way he was ..the man that ruined his life.

Sasuke ran a hand over his face . He plopped down on the sidewalk.

What did this mean?

Itachi?

Did that mean Itachi was here?

Why was she so afraid?

"Hey kid"

He looked up. An older man stood there.

"Need some help?"

"No…no. I'll be fie"

In a daze Sasuke stood up and began to walk slowly back in the direction of the hospital.

"Yea…fine. I'll be fine"

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**HEY GUYS! ITS ONLY BEEN ONE DAY AND I ALREADY GOT A NEW CHAPTER OUT!lol I have to admit though I was laughing my ass off when I wrote the scene with Sarah. At first I had put bitch after every sentence and it sounded like itachi was a P.I.M.P! LOL thank you for your reviews!**


	12. Miss Understood

**Disclaimer: don't own don't sue!**

**Chapter 12: miss understood**

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**And so I deem thee unforgiving**

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"Are you serous? Oh my god this is fucking huge" Naruto grinned and stood up on the bed.

"I'm practically cured" he flashed a victory sign.

Dr. Cortez laughed.

"Yes! Your surgery to remove the cancer is set for Monday!"

"Wah! that's like an eternity away"

"I'm sure you'll find some way to pass the time"

The door opened slowly.

"Sasuke!"

Said boy looked up. He face still held a dazed look, like he wasn't really there.

"Hello"

"Guess what?" a yellow(Naruto's hair) and white blur( Naruto's hospital clothes) suddenly came at him. He stared up into a pair of blue eyes.

"What?"

"They're gonna remove the cancer. It worked! The radiation worked."

"That's good"

Naruto's brow furrowed.

"What's wrong? You look kind of pale..what happened? oh my god..did you see the picture in my locker, cause I swear I didn't even like you then so you can't be mad, plus it wasn't real lingerie, it just looked like it! Most of it was computer generated but the rest was--"

"No!..I don't know what your talking about Naruto"

Naruto frowned and waved a hand in front of Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke didn't register the weight was off of his chest or that he was being led to the bed,

"Doc what's wrong with him?"

Suzan frowned and looked at Sasuke.

"I don't know he seems to be in shock"

"Shock?"

She nodded.

"Sasuke can you hear us? What happened?"

"Oi bastard! What's wrong?"

"Sasuke?"

"Oh dear he's fainted."

"Sasuke"

"Don't worry Naruto. Lay him down here"

"Will he be alright?"

"Of course he will…"

"Promise."

"I promise"

**Scene **

_"Itachi! Itachi!"_

_A young boy ran up the steps carrying a crumpled piece of paper in his hand._

_"Itachi! Look!"_

_The older man calmly took the paper from Sasuke's hand._

_"What's this?"_

_"My first report for this year! I got a 80!"_

_Itachi frowned._

_" An 80 ?"_

_"Hmm hmm! it's a B!"_

_The boy continued unaware of his brothers frown_

_"The teacher said it was a very good report." Sasuke used a high pitched voice, imitating his teacher._

_"I wrote about you!"_

_"Sasuke..why did you get less then an 100?"_

_Sasuke looked confused._

_"What? Itachi I got the highest in the class"_

_"That doesn't matter."_

_"Uchiha always get A's"_

_Sasuke's lower lip quivered._

_"But aren't you proud of me?"_

_"…No… Sasuke I know you can do better. don't cry" _

_Tears were wiped from eyes._

_"Just do better next time"_

_"Ok! I will. I'll do better for you Itachi! I love you big brother!"_

_"I love you too…Sasuke"_

**Scene**

"Shh he's waking up. Stop poking him Neji!"

"Calm down Naruto it's not like he was in a coma"

"Whatever! I am calm"

"Is that why your breaking my hand?"

Naruto gasped and quickly let go of Neji's hand.

"Shut up" Naruto screeched loudly.

Sasuke groaned and opened his eyes.

"Ugh! Be quiet dobe"

"Bastard!"

Before Sasuke could retort Sasuke found himself being glomped for the second time that day.

He groaned.

"Get off Naruto!"

"Are you okay? Do you want some water? Do you want me to call the nurse? NURSE! NURSE!"

Sasuke growled and clamped a hand over Naruto's mouth.

"No! what I would like is for you to shut up and get off"

Naruto silently complied, the pout evident on his lips.

"That's what I get for worrying about a bastard.."

Neji smirked.

"What happened Uchiha? See a ghost?"

Sasuke sneered a Neji.

"Something like that…recently..have any of you guys seen anyone that looks like me?"

Obviously the question was only directed at Gaara and Neji but Naruto beamed.

"Nope"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"What did I say about talking to me?"

Gaara raised a non existent eyebrow.

"Like you?"

Sasuke licked his suddenly dry lips.

"Yea..like me..but older.."

"Are you talking about Itachi?" Neji asked.

Naruto perked up.

"Itachi..isn't he the one who--..never mind"

"Yea..I think he's back in town"

Naruto grinned.

"Well you have nothing to be worried about! he's probably wanted here for the murder of your family"

Sasuke's frown deepened.

"..They never..they…"

Neji looked troubled his eyebrows knitted together.

"He was never found guilty. All evidence had been disposed of.."

Naruto for once in his life actually had the sense to remain silent. cracking a joke right now would mean the end of his reproductive glands..

"So..what does the mean if he's back' Gaara spoke.

"It means ..he's gonna die" the look on Sasuke face had Naruto scooting farther into the bed.

"Is he sick?"

"No.."

"Then why is he going to die?"

"I'm going to kill him.."

Sasuke said this with such a strange calmness it made shivers run up his spine, Naruto had never seen such murderous intent..not even in the eyes of an blood thirsty beast..and for all he knew ..right now Sasuke was one.

**Scene**

Sarah wrapped her thin jacket tighter around her, it was relatively warm out, but ever since she had met Itachi she was cold, always cold.

She couldn't stop thinking abut the boy she had met earlier.

He had looked so much like Itachi..save for his eyes…Sasuke's eyes held something different, it wasn't compassion, though Sarah didn't think she could recognize it even if it was. It wasn't love..it was a kind of hopelessness, a longing she had seen somewhere before. In her own eyes. The bright grey ones that stared back at her everyday.

This was a stupid idea.

She hadn't thought ahead. Sarah didn't have a place to sleep, she barley had four dollars in her pocket, and the sun was starting to set.

She walked slower memorizing her surroundings. Four guys whistled a she passed, one of them made a offensive motion with his hands.

Sarah turned into an empty alley way hoping she could cut through and land on the other street.

Se moaned when she came face to face with a wall.

"Well ain't that a pur-ty sound" Sarah whirled around and glared at the fat man standing a the entrance of the alley.

"Well, savor the moment, that was the last and only time you'll ever hear it!"

She tried to stomp past him. She hissed when her arm was gripped roughly.

"We'll see about that little missy" he said into her face. Sarah's lip curled in disgust.

"You will release me at once"

"Or what?"

"Or I'll have to do this" she delivered a swift knee to the mans groin.

She almost laughed when he fell to the ground gripping his crouch in pain.

"You little cunt!"

Her victory was short lived when two more men entered the alley. "Boss!" one of them yelled.

"Get the whore" the man on the ground shouting.

Sarah screamed and backed away slowly, the men started to advance.

"Its not everyday you get to see someone so purty" the taller once snickered.

"And so cheap too"

Sarah gasped, the fear was slowly entering her body.

Her eyes widened when the men paused, then slowly crumpled to the ground, the back of their heads sliced opened. Kisame lazily took care of the whimpering man on the ground.

"What are you doing here?"

Hot white relief filled her whole being.

She threw herself at Itachi's feet.

"Oh thank god..you came!"

"What are you doing here?"

Sarah lowered her eyes.

"I-I followed you here"

"She is a little obedient pet isn't she?"

Kisame smirked and shook the blood off of his sword.

"Oh Itachi! I'm so happy! Thank you--" Sarah could not finish her sentence as she was slowly choking on her own blood. Itachi stepped back, and pocketed the switch blade, a smile flickered over his face when her head fell to the ground.

He knelled on one knee.

"It's such a shame..she was such a pretty girl" he tucked blond hair beyond her still warm ear, Sarah's unseeing grey eyes stared back at him, he closed her lids.

"I'll never understand you Itachi…" Kisame said quietly from behind him.

"Good..she did and look what happened to her.."

Kisame didn't question Itachi again, whether it was because he was scared or because he didn't care was unclear.

Sarah's body was found two days later, her lids still closed and her hair still tucked behind her ear.

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**didn't I tell you Sarah wasn't important? See..I warned you. So this shouldn't have come as a big surprise. If it did..sorry**

**Ok truth time! I didn't put much effort in this chapter.. I guess I'm still kind of sad that my other story isn't doing so well…yea…so anyway I sulked for a week or two finally got my lazy ass up and started writing..so yea here it goes. I would like to thank all of my reviewers for making this possible! Because it sure as hell wasn't me..**

**Oh..I need a beta..who wants to do it? I'll love you forever!**


	13. Never Never Land

**Disclaimer: I don't own it…don't sue me.**

**Chapter 13: Never Never Land..**

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"**But ,Peter. How do we get to never land?"**

"**Fly, of course!"**

"**Fly?"**

"**Its easy..you think of a wonderful thought!"**

"**Any happy little thought?"**

"**Yep!"**

"**Like toys at Christmas? Sleigh bells? Snow?"**

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Naruto fidgeted slightly as Sasuke's eyes bore into his skin.

"Dobe what's wrong?"

"Nothing…."

"Yes there is"

"No, there isn't" Naruto shook his head.

"Yes there is.."

"No.."

"Tell me"

"No!"

"Fine! I guess trust is too much to ask from my boyfriend! I'll just go home and--"

"Its just that when you were talking about Itachi..your eyes changed."

"Changed?"

Sasuke scooted closer to Naruto on the bed.

"I can't explain it..they just changed…like they just shifted.. You weren't the Sasuke I knew any longer. Sasuke he's corrupting you! Don't you see what killing him would do to you?"

" Killing Itachi would make me happy..why cant you understand that?"

"Being happy doesn't mean having everything in your life perfect, it's about stringing together the little things..like drawing a good picture you're really proud of ,or taking a walk in the park, making those count for more than the bad stuff. Maybe all we can hope for in life is to get through it."

"But..you…Itachi, he took everything away from me ,my family, my happiness…everything.."

"Yea..but you found me. Aren't I your family? don't I make you happy?"

"It's not the same"

Sasuke did not miss the hurt that flickered in Naruto's blue eyes.

"No..wait..Naruto I didn't mean it like that…"

Naruto smiled calmly and stood.

"Sasuke..you are a strong person…don't let anger and sadness rule your life" he bent down and placed a chaste kiss on Sasuke's lips.

"Don't become just like him" he whispered.

Naruto left then, Sasuke didn't know where. He was confused. He had never thought twice about killing his brother. It always seemed like something he had to do, something his parents would want. Sure, he knew that it would probably make him almost as bad as Itachi, and he would probably go to jail for man slaughter, but what else did he have to lose?. But now he had Naruto. Naruto..his light, his angel. What would he do if he couldn't see Naruto's smile everyday? Would he fall into the darkness like Itachi?

lost to the world?

To the sunlight?

Swallowed whole?

**Scene **

**"**Kisame I'm going out for a while. Stay here"

Kisame rolled his eyes at the order.

" Have fun…you going to see that guy again?

Itachi tensed, his hand on the door.

"What I do in my free time is none of your concern"

Itachi opened the door and slammed it forcibly. Kisame laughed harshly and continued to polish his sword.

"I sure hope Itachi knows what he's getting in to"

Itachi walked quickly down the streets, pulling the collar on his thick coat higher. He walked with such a practiced familiarity, it was obvious that he had walked this road many times before.

When he reached his destination he rapped on the Door softly in a short series of knocks. Itachi inwardly counted to 11 before he turned to walk away. Before he had even gotten a foot away from the apartment he was pulled roughly inside, a pair of lips on his.

The kiss was anything but gentle, it was fast and hard and rough, nothing but teeth and tongue. The other man let out a low moan and slammed Itachi into the nearest wall. Itachi winced inwardly,but let the man continue his full on assault on his lips. He would take control again in due time..

"You're late" that man said in between kisses.

"I didn't have to come" Itachi whispered back seductively flipping them around so that he was pressing against the other man.

"Kakashi.."

Kakashi moaned and arched into this touch sliding calloused hands down Itachi's slim torso.

Itachi bit back a moan.

"Your lover. Shall we be expecting him?"

Kakashi and him both knew that he was not asking out of concern of Kakashi's boyfriend, he was asking for the mere fact that it would be an inconvenience for him if he had to stop in the middle of something.

"No" Kakashi panted "Iruka's visiting Naruto, one of my students"

Itachi nodded before leaning his head in and sucking nosily on the juncture between Kakashi's neck and right shoulder.

He made quick work of Kakashi's clothes throwing them behind him carelessly. Kakashi simply watched with hooded eyes. He could never resist Itachi, beautiful Itachi. He didn't love him..if he did it wouldn't matter. Itachi couldn't love him back.

When they met up Kakashi always bottomed, he knew he could never expect anything else from the older Uchiha. Sometimes he felt guilty when he thought of Iruka, and how hurt it would him if he ever found out.

Iruka was so much different form Itachi, while Itachi's eyes were cold and uncaring, Iruka's were kind and gentle. Itachi never requested, he ordered. So different. Kakashi loved Iruka, but what he felt for Itachi was so much greater. It was lust, pure uninhibited lust. Oh the sensations that Itachi's experienced hands provided. Kakashi was a selfish man, he wanted Itachi, but he could never let go of Iruka.

Never ever.

It didn't bother Kakashi that Itachi never prepped him, everything about what they did was rough, maybe that's what really made Iruka and Itachi different, with Iruka it was slow sweet and gentle, but it was beautiful right down to the moment when Iruka's face contorted with pleasure shouting out Kakashi's name, clinging to him lovingly. And afterward they lay in the sweet aftermath , the smell of sweat and sex still heavy in the air.

There was no afterwards with Itachi, sometimes before he had even come back down from his high euphoria Itachi was already dressed and smoothing back long locks, ready to depart in the slightest second. It was always like this.

So why did he crave him so?

**Scene**

Naruto laughed and stole a sip from Sasuke's soda. He winced, he had forgotten how strong _coke's _were. This was going to be one his last nights on the hospital.. Once he got the surgery they would need to keep him a day or so to monitor his brain patterns, but then he was gone, he was free.

"So who's this guy I here you're dating Iruka?"

Iruka blushed nervously.

"His name is Kakashi, I met him recently at a coffee shop"

Naruto choked.

"Wait! Do you mean Hatake Kakashi? My math teacher?"

"Well, he did mention he was a teacher…I didn't know he was yours..Naruto are you ok?"

Naruto was now a sickly pale. Sasuke shook his head and punched Naruto on his arm.

"Stop being stupid dobe. That's great Iruka"

It was obvious Sasuke made an effort to be nice to the kind looking social worker. Naruto grinned and rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Yea Iruka! It's great you found someone. As long as he makes you happy"

"Oh he does. We haven't been dating long, but I think I'm in love"

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked nervously.

"Cause I used to think I loved Elvis Presley , but really it was just indigestion"

Iruka laughed and tucked a stray piece of hair behind his ear.

"Of course I am."

"Are you living with him already?" Sasuke asked conversationally.

Iruka blushed and hid his face.

"It's not exactly..well..sorda.."

"Hey Iruka can you turn on the TV?"

"Why?" Sasuke rose an eyebrow.

"You've had this TV since you were admitted and you haven't watched it once."

"Shut up! That old hag is going to be on TV"

"Old hag?"

Iruka shook his head, grinning at Sasuke.

"His landlord"

The sides of Sasukes mouth twitched slightly

"Ok..what channel?"

"I don't know..put it on some news channel"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and put it on fox five.(AN: lol…I was going to write fox 9..but something told me that was a little too cheesy)

_"21 year old Sarah Donora was found murdered yesterday evening_" a picture of a young women smiling was shown.

" _She was surrounded by several other bodies. Police say there was a struggle on the men's part, but none from the young women. amazedly this is the same Sarah Donora wh_o _mysteriously disappeared 9 years ago, after her parents death_"

Sasuke's eyes widened. He unconsciously dropped the remote.

"I've seen her" he said softly, eyes still riveted on the screen.

"Really? When?" Naruto asked bouncing excitably in his chair.

"..Yesterday…"

Naruto looked at him strangely.

" But she died yesterday"

" That's what scares me"

Iruka looked back and forth between the two boys . He quickly grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

"How could you have seen a dead person yesterday?"

"Stupid! I saw her before she died. I bumped into her on the way back from my house..she thought I was Itachi.."

"So what happened to her?"

"I don't know..she freaked out and ran"

Naruto looked sad.

"Poor girl. I wonder what happened.."

"I have an idea" Sasuke whispered.

Sasuke was grateful that Naruto had not heard him, and if he did he made no move to show it ,or question him.

The evening went on without much fuss, Gaara and Neji came to visit followed by Tsundae dressed in a bright great suit, obviously strait from her interview. Naruto said something about her being an green tomato and she bopped him on the head.

All the while Sasuke sat and listened, half of his mind on the conversation and half on Sarah and Itachi. He answered when spoken too and smiled politely when everyone left. He stayed with Naruto until he fell asleep, but he couldn't get the pair of smiling grey eyes out of his mind, and it haunted him

**Scene**

Both Itachi and Kakashi froze as the door was opened nosily and steps could be heard, Itachi was already dressed and was pulling on his boots. Kakashi pushed Itachi into the closet and ran into the bathroom turning on the shower quickly. Stepping in he cleaned himself on all dirt, grime and any evidence left over from his earlier activities.

Iruka walked and instantly noticed the dark room. He frowned and clicked on several lights, throwing his stuff on the couch. Iruka made his way into the bedroom and chuckled at the messy state of the floor. It was obvious that Kakashi had tried to clean, the bed had been stripped of it sheets and around the floor lay Kakashi's scattered clothes. He shook his head and began to pick up the shirt, pants and socks off of the carpet.

Kakashi walked out of the shower just as Iruka was throwing the clothes in the hamper. He grinned at Iruka and kissed him on his cheek, ushering him into the shower.

Iruka did not notice Kakashi nervous smile, or the way the room was musky with the scent of sex…

He did not notice when a dark head peeked out of the small closet,.

Or when said dark head kissed Kakashi and left out of the front door

Oh no, Kakashi didn't love Itachi..or no.. but if he did, it wouldn't have even mattered. Because Itachi couldn't love him back, wouldn't love him back..shouldn't love him back.

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**Wow! chapter 13..I feel I have reached a milestone in my fanfic, even though I practically gagged when I had to write out the Kakashi and Itachi scenes. I means seriously the chances of them actually getting together are so slim! thank you guys who offered to beta. Amazingly my mom wants to do it..my mom!. I cant begin to tell you how much that disturbs me. But it makes her happy..not the Yaoi, of course, but the fact that I'm actually practicing my writing! lol to tell the truth I think I'm only going to have about 4 more chapters..then its over. Finally over!**


	14. Sinking into the clouds throw me a star?

**Disclaimer: Don't own! don't sue!**

**Chapter 14: Sinking into the clouds. throw me a star.**

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**Oh, I am very weary**

**Though tears no longer flow**

**My eyes are tried of weeping**

**My heart is sick of woe**

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Iruka wasn't stupid. He wasn't naïve. He had seen his share of the world. He knew things some people only dreamed of knowing, and seen things most people only dreamed of seeing. Iruka was strong, not physically ,but emotionally. He had only cried three times in his whole entire life.

The first was when his parents died.

The second, on his 12th birthday when he realized that no-one was there to guide him on the path to this teenage years.

The third time was with Naruto, they cried together when he was first diagnosed. Iruka understood that tears never solved anything.

Iruka wasn't stupid. He saw the nervous smiles Kakashi threw his way when he came home earlier than expected, and he noticed the musky smell of sweat in his normally cool room. He saw and he noticed.

What do you do when you love someone so much…that you can't sleep at night without dreaming of them, when you hear their name and your heart beats a little faster?..what do you do when the man you're in love with is cheating? What do you do?

Iruka sighed and snuggled deeper into Kakashi's arms, his eyes instantly spotting the new mark on his lovers neck. Kakashi slept soundly unaware of his lovers dark stare.

Iruka didn't know what to feel. Was he supposed to be sad? hurt?..angry? He was confused. So many emotions running through his head. He didn't know whether to confront Kakashi about it. Or to leave it alone and pretend he was oblivious to it all. If he revealed what he knew.

Would their relationship last? But then again a relationship without trust was barley a relationship at all.

**Scene**

Sasuke nervously paced the room as he waited for Naruto's surgery to be over. Really he was getting tired of this hospital. It was bad when all the nurses knew you. Not because you were an Uchiha but because you had been there every day for 7 weeks.

Though Sasuke supposed he should have been grateful, the nurses didn't swoon at the sight of him, but Sasuke had to give the fan girls credit. They were resilient. Even coming all the way to hospital claiming to want to visit Naruto, carrying flowers and dabbing fake tears away from big eyes.

They were all turned away.

So here Sasuke waited, and paced, beside him sat Iruka ,a deeply troubled expression on his face. Tsundae had been there moments before but had smelled coffee and proceeded to chase some young nurse down, demanding to know where she had gotten it.

Iruka cast nervous glances at him from time to time before falling back into troubled thoughts.

"Um..Sasuke?"

Sasuke rose an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

Iruka took a deep breath.

"What would you do if Naruto was cheating on you?"

Sasuke instantly froze.

He spoke in a voice that could freeze fire.

"First. I would find the guy and beat the shit out of him. And then I …I would…" Would he leave? He doubted it? No matter what Naruto did to him Sasuke couldn't leave his blonde.

"I don't know..I'd guess I would forgive him"

Iruka looked up shocked,

"Forgive him…?"

"Yea..I love Naruto and I know that he loves me."

"But. Even still, what if he cheated over and over again?"

Sasuke didn't speak for a short while ,and neither did Iruka.

"I..don't know..why do you ask?"

"..No reason. I just think sometimes" he stopped suddenly and laughed sheepishly.

"Never mind! Its probably just my over active imagination"

He blushed at Sasuke's suspicious look.

"Don't tell ok?" he waited for Sasuke's nod.

"I think Kakashi is cheating on me. You see at first..I thought..I was imagining things. Because at first it was little things I noticed. Like how the room was always messy or how Kakashi always wanted to know exactly when I would be home."

Iruka laughed. But it sounded hollow even to his own ears.

"But lately….."

Iruka rubbed his fingers absentmindedly

"It's not that I don't trust him. But..I mean what would you do if your boyfriend got phone calls at one in the morning? Or sometimes a different name slips from his lips?"

"Leave..stay..it doesn't matter"

"But.."

Sasuke sighed.

"Look. Think of it like this. If Kakashi really cared he wouldn't continue to cheat on you"

Iruka glowered.

"For all I know it could be circumstances beyond his control!"

" Well until you know for sure I guess you'll have to suffer" Sasuke growled. And continued to pace.

Iruka glared. He wasn't mad at Sasuke. He merely told the truth, but sometimes people didn't want to hear the truth. They would rather live their lives with the delusion that they were happy, that everything was alright.

Because once you knew the truth there was no turning back. You couldn't wake up and pretend that everything was normal, because you were tainted. Tainted with the knowledge that you knew something that could change the balance of your life. Tainted..Iruka didn't want to be anymore tainted then he already was.

"I'm sorry Sasuke.."

Sasuke grunted.

"So I should talk to him about it?"

Dark eyes were on him.

" If you find out he is cheated you can leave or not. The choice is yours. But remember what ever choice you make will affect you for the rest of your life. If you leave you'll wonder everyday after this if you should have stayed ,and if you had …would you still be together"

Sasuke paused, his eyes staring blankly into nothing as he spoke, glazed over with a forgotten memory.(1)

"And if you stay you'll be bitter. Sure you'll smile and say that you forgive him, but the trust you once had won't be there anymore. When he leaves ,you will find yourself wondering if he's coming back, and who he's going to see. Your life will be shadowed with the fear of rejection and of being hurt again"

Iruka listened intently, Sasuke spoke with the years of someone far older and wiser than he.

Iruka nodded at Sasuke ,and Sasuke nodded back. Together they waited. The tension in the room slowly dispersing. Soon the two were speaking as if they were old friends. Talk ranged in subject from the weather to the plural form of a platypus. Iruka found himself forgetting about Kakashi. He forgot about the nervous smiles and the shaky grins, he forgot about the gnawing guilt always in Kakashi's eyes. He forgot all about the other man and he lost himself in his own happiness. That hadn't happened in a long time.

That afternoon Iruka walked home, leaving his car in the hospital parking lot. The night air felt so refreshing. When the apartment building came into view Iruka's heart clenched. It was the feeling you got when you just got your report card in school, and you knew your mother would be sitting in the den-the belt in hand- waiting for you to tell her you failed chemistry..again.

Iruka stood outside the door for a long time. His brain told him to go forward, but his heart wouldn't let him. Outwardly Iruka stood calm and collected. Not a hair out of place. Inwardly he was screaming.

Throwing all caution to the wind the brunette turned the knob and pushed at the door, as to not make a sound.

Instantly Iruka recognized the sounds of heavy breathing and moans. For a second Iruka paused and he listened and he thought.

Whatever he did next would determine his future. He could walk away and come back an hour later, a grin already in place. He could yell and kick and scream and shout and jump. He could cuss and cry.

He could…

Iruka took a deep breath and walked to the bedroom door. He opened it slowly.

Iruka stared for what seemed like an eternity. Kakashi noticed him first and froze. Eyes wide with horror. The man on top of him stopped. Kakashi threw the taller man off and hurriedly ran around throwing on clothes, shouting excuses at Iruka.

For a moment he met eyes with the other man. Deep crimson eyes held his. Iruka found himself lost in the swirling depths. All at once the man's name came to mind.

"Uchiha ,Itachi"

Itachi stared at him.

"I've don't believe we've met"

"No. I don't suppose we have"

Iruka looked once more at Itachi, and then turned to Kakashi. He expected words to spout from his mouth. All the feelings he felt earlier suddenly were not there. And he looked at Kakashi with calculated eyes.

Kakashi looked away.

The two men stood in suffocating silence..

They did not notice when Itachi left the room.

"Iruka I'm sorr-"

"Stop" Kakashi looked at Iruka expecting to find hate or anger in those cinnamon eyes but he saw none of those, in fact..there was…. pity?

"Don't say that to me when you don't men it. You're not sorry for what you did. You're not." Iruka sat down heavily on the floor, avoiding the bed like the plague.

Kakashi opened his mouth just as Iruka held up a hand.

"Just listen please."

"I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to feel right now. I feel I'm still trying to figure out..how much of our relationship was actually real, because I keep coming up with lies."

"None of it was a lie" Kakashi sat down beside Iruka. " I love you so much"

"I love you too"

Kakashi looked happy.

"But I'm leaving you"

Instantly Kakashi's eyes drooped.

"You just said you loved me"

"I do love you. But..I relaize..that I could ever trust you again..not ever.."

Iruka stood up calmly and offered a hand to Kakashi.

"So I'm going to go. I'm going to pack my bags and leave, and you're going to be sad. Your going to regret everything you've ever done. But you know what? You will have learned something." he continued on ignoring the tears gathering in Kakashi's eyes.

"I have no doubt in my mind that someday you will move on. Get married..live in a big house..with a picket fence..adopt a few kids" he laughed softly.

"But it wont be with me, and you will spend every day of your life wondering what could have been"

Iruka pulled Kakashi up.

"So this is goodbye..?" Kakashi asked. It was obvious from the hitch of his voice..that he already knew the answer. Tears were now streaming down Kakashi's face, and he made no move to wipe them away.

Iruka felt the familiar hot pinpricks behind his own eyes and turned away before he started crying too.

"..Goodbye"

Iruka wasn't stupid. He wasn't naïve. He had seen his share of the world. He knew things some people only dreamed of knowing, and seen things most people only dreamed of seeing. Iruka was strong, not physically ,but emotionally. He had cried very few times in his life

Iruka understood that tears never solved anything.

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**I was attempting to get Naruto's surgery and the breakup into this one chapter. But I didn't feel like writing 2 more pages .Ok..about that (1) …I wanted it to seem like Sasuke was in past relationship. I'll delve deeper into that next chapter( which should be out sometime next week). 2OO REVIEWS! OH YEA! - does a happy dance-**


	15. These Love Games We PLay

**Disclaimer: Don't own !don't sue**

**Chapter 15: These love games we play**

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**Flashbacks of the times we had**

**Some made us laugh, and some made us sad**

**We used to break up to make up**

**All the fun that came…**

**From those love games…**

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After the break up things retuned to normal. Iruka worked late nights. Not returning to his apartment until the light of dawn peeked over the horizon. It was always the same. He'd sleep a few hours then head back to work.

His comrades would come to say that they had never seen someone so dedicated in their work, but then again Iruka carried a great sadness with him. Though he was confident that he had left his mark on Kakashi… he was also confident that Kakashi had left a mark on him.

Sometimes he found himself saying the name in the silence of his house just to fill the emptiness, and the dreams…oh god the dreams. Night after night. Sometimes Iruka wanted to go back to him. But then the pain would come. Started slowly in his heart and engulfing it all. Those time Iruka wanted to cry.

For Kakashi life was different. He felt as though he were watching his own life from somewhere else. None of it seemed real. He kept on expecting to go home and find Iruka at the dining room table, reading a book. Everything he did or saw reminded him again and again that Iruka was gone.

Outwardly he seemed the same, telling jokes to his class and reading his perverted books. But inwardly he was crying. His eyes always looked so hollow, even to him. The week after the break up Itachi came to him again. Kakashi turned him away. It was rather funny really. He had taken the tender hearted man for granted. He assumed that he would always be there. Like your parents. You don't ever think that they will leave you, but when and if they do ..you feel empty inside. Like a puppet with broken strings.

**Scene**

Naruto's surgery had gone well. The tumor was gone. Sasuke felt a happiness he had never felt before. Not when his parents were alive, not even when Itachi took time off work to play with him. Never.

One of the nurses asked Naruto how he felt, now that he was cured. Naruto smiled. And said " Like snow in august" he didn't bother to explain.

The night before Naruto's release date everyone gathered in Naruto's spacious hospital room. Even some of the nurses came to say goodbye, crying real tears. Sasuke couldn't stop smiling. Even Gaara laughed. The air felt carefree and happy.

Iruka had come a little late. Naruto's smile melted off his face when he saw Iruka

"Iruka what's wrong?"

Iruka grinned.

"Oh it's nothing"

"…Did something happen?"

Iruka sighed .

"Kakashi and I broke up.."

Sasukes onyx eyes looked strait at Iruka. There were no questions. Just gentle understanding.

Naruto gasped. "But why? You guys like made the perfect couple"

Sasuke didn't bother to point out that a few days earlier Naruto had almost threw up at the thought of them together.

"..It seems we weren't ..as happy as I thought" Iruka said wistfully ,with a far off look in his eyes.

Sasuke flinched at the look. He had seen that look. It used to be in his own eyes. Sasuke would never tell, but he had been in love, before Naruto…his name was Sai. They were virtually the same. It was a few years after the death of his parents. That's probably why Sasuke agreed to date him. He needed something in his life to distract him from his every day thoughts.

Soon enough Sasuke fell in love with those cheerful smiles and loving grins. The exact opposites of his chilling smirks and perverted leers.

Sasuke knew Sai had a past. Every one has something in life that they regret. But Sasuke assumed that when Sai fell in love with him, his past would fade away into nothing. And they could start their own future together.

Unfortunely Sai did not get the memo and he cheated on him with some girl he had known in elementary school. When Sasuke walked in on it he felt his heart grow a little colder, and his smile a little forced. Unlike Iruka Sasuke wasn't calm. He screamed and yelled and punched. He demanded and cried. He stomped and scratched. His heart broke into a million little pieces, and Sasuke couldn't even begin to pick them up.

He of course tried staying with Sai. He loved him too much. It took Sasuke a while to figure out that once a cheater… always a cheater. That's why he felt no compassion for Kakashi. He knew what he was doing. He knew that he was hurting Iruka. He knew, and yet he continued. Lost in his own desire. And Sasuke knew…. Being lost in desire is a terrible thing.

In a way he felt proud of Iruka. Sasuke knew how much will power and determination it took to not go running back. But after time had passed, and some of the wounds had healed, he knew that Iruka would feel proud too.

"Well Iruka..you can always stay with me.." Naruto grinned brightly.

Iruka giggled at Naruto's eager face.

"No. it's alight, the landlord let me rent out my apartment again. Besides you only want me to cook ramen for you.."

Naruto laughed.

"No. that just would be one of the perks of living with you"

"It wouldn't matter if he had agreed anyway." every face in the room turned to look at Sasuke.

"You'll be staying with me"

Sasuke let this sink in a moment

"What?"

"I said..that you will be living with me"

Naruto blanched.

"But what if I don't want to live with you?"

Sasuke shot him a look.

"Then I will break you arms and legs and drag you there myself'

Naruto laughed nervously.

"You know I was kidding Sasuke..why wouldn't I want to live with my boyfriend, and you live in that awesome mansion! Can you say house party?"

Iruka smiled at the two, he was going to regret asking this question.

"Sasuke do you know where your brother is?" he asked, try to keep his voice light and careless

Sasuke stiffened.

"No."

Iruka smiled. But looked away. Had Sasuke's eyes turned red?

Scene

Kakashi drowned down another glass of vodka. He eyed the glass in his hand with disgust. Someone knocked on the door. Kakashi knew who it was. He counted the 11 raps.

When he didn't answer after a few seconds the door was opened. Itachi walked in like he hadn't just walked into Kakashi's house without an invite.

"Get up" Itachi spat coldly.

"Get out!" Kakashi said it back just a harshly.

Itachi eyed him with barley concealed anger.

" I came to tell you I was leaving in a few days"

"A few days? Why don't you leave now?" he couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"I would. But I have a appointment with my little brother"

Kakashi shot up at this.

"Leave Sasuke out of this"

Itachi frowned.

"You actually think this is about you?"

Kakashi held Itachi's gaze.

"I don't need you Kakashi. I could fuck anybody else in this city. You're just convenient"

For some reason the words didn't surprise him.

"Why do you want to talk to Sasuke?"

Itachi gazed at him, a hint of compassion beneath his gaze.

"I need to finish what I started"

Kakashi inhaled sharply.

"You're going to kill him?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. But didn't respond.

Kakashi closed his eyes, when he opened them Itachi was gone, leaving only the faint smell of blood and metal behind.

Itachi walked purposely up to his old home. The walls glinted mysteriously in the moonlight. Itachi closed his eyes and let the memories wash over him. Laughter..smiles…hugs.

His lips twitched at the corners before Itachi forced the smile back down. All Itachi ever wanted to do was make Sasuke stronger.. Sometimes he felt as if he had succeeded. He had gone through a lot of trouble. Getting Sai to cheat on Sasuke. But then again he wasn't good enough for him anyway if he would do that for a measly thousand dollars. Sasuke was their last chance. The one who would make the Uchiha line worth something.

Itachi's' eyesight was slowly deteriorating along with the rest of his body. He knew he was sick. And he knew, without the doctor's diagnosis that he was going to die.

Itachi had a plan. A marvelous plan. A plan that was to surely makes his little brother a real Uchiha. Now if only if only he could get rid of the boy..Naruto. The boy holding Sasuke back. Making his heart weak and soft. Itachi knew that love..was only a burden, and sometimes burdens..must be disposed of.

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**I didn't like this chapter. Not only was it one of my shortest but it just sucked. I think I might write the next one right now and submit it a few hours after this one..maybe….**

**Thanks to my wonderful reviewrs..from this point out I promise to respond to each of your reviews! Love you guys!**


	16. Delusional

**Disclaimer: don't own don't sure**

**Chapter 16: Delusional**

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**Delusional**

**I believed I could cure it all for you dear  
coax or trick or drive or drag the demons from you  
make it right for you sleeping beauty **

**truly thought I could heal you **

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Naruto grinned and pulled Sasuke along faster. How long had it been since he had felt the sunlight? Sasuke let himself be pulled to the Uchiha estate. He wasn't exactly ecstatic about going back, but the fact that he had Naruto now helped to ease his troubled thoughts.

For some reason the walk there seemed shorter than usual. The Uchiha mansion stood proud on its 17 acres. Sasuke blinked when Naruto suddenly stopped. He looked over and saw the blonde gaping at the house in wonder. In the back of his mind Sasuke remembered that Naruto had never seen his home.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and started the long walk to the front door. Naruto commented that it would probably be easier going through the yard. Sasuke replied that the yard had motion sensors and if someone stepped foot on the grass the hounds would be released.

In reality the sensors hadn't worked in years, and Sasuke wasn't even sure if those dogs were even still alive.

Sasuke opened the front door slowly. The door was never locked. It was a mystery why Sasuke hadn't been robbed yet. But then again almost everyone in konoha had heard the tale of how people who were caught touching anything in the Uchiha household were hung by their toes in the courtyard.

Of course that was just a rumor but Sasuke did nothing to slow down the rumor mill, in fact Sasuke supplied water and gas to keep it going.

Sasuke smirked at Naruto's frightened face as he led him down the dark twisting halls. Each door looked exactly the same. All covered by a thin layer of dust and spider webs. Sasuke had never bothered to clean. When he neared Itachi's door he stiffened and waked faster almost yanking Naruto's arm out of its socket. Naruto must have felt the urgency in Sasuke step because he did not question him.

Sasuke's parents door stood at the end of the hall. It was by far the largest room in the house. Sasuke should have moved there after his parents death, it was after all the master's room. He had tried sleeping in there once. But even after years of being gone he could still smell his mothers sweet jasmine perfume, and his fathers pipe.

He stopped at a door somewhere between his parents room and Itachi's. this was obviously Sasuke's room. The door was relatively clean, an had 'S.U' carved on the outside of it. Sasuke pulled out a key and unlocked the door. Naruto thought it strange that he locked his room and not the front door.

Sasuke's room was very plain, and looked unlived it. For a brief second it reminded Naruto of his stuffy hospital room, until he smelt the faint scent of Sasuke. It always relaxed him.

**Scene**

Itachi watched his little brother and Naruto through the window. His red eyes took in everything. He almost threw up at the look of love in Sasuke's eyes. Itachi fingered the gun held loosely in his hand. He had planned this down to the last second. Naruto would be rather easy to take down. But Sasuke..Sasuke was another story. He had trained Sasuke himself.

And Kakashi..he couldn't have him interfering. Kakashi was soft. The gun suddenly felt heavy in his hand. Kakashi would have to go too. But really he had grown rather fond of the man. He would almost feel bad for killing him. Almost..but then again Itachi never regretted anything.

He smirked. Tonight. Tonight he would dispose of everything in Sasuke's life that made him weak and unworthy. He could cut loose all the ties holding him back. He would make Sasukes stronger.

**Scene**

Kakashi paced the room nervously running hands through mused hair. He hadn't slept at all that night, he vaguely registered that he was late for his class already. All he could think about was Itachi. For the first time since he had met the oldest Uchiha he felt a deep scathing anger.

Kakashi honestly did not know what to do. He couldn't call the cops. he had been sleeping with him for years, and in that time Kakashi knew that calling the cops on Itachi was a useful as throwing ice cubs in a forest fire

What could he do?. Taking on Itachi alone would be foolish. Who could he call that he could truly trust?

Kakashi sighed as he picked up the phone and dialed Iruka's number from memory. He picked up in the fifth ring.

"Hello! child services. Iruka speaking"

"Iruka"

Pause

"Kakashi?"

"Yea..can..can you talk?"

"What? now?"

"Yea..it's urgent"

"Sure. Wait a second"

The phone was placed down. For a moment Kakashi thought Iruka had hung up on him. He heard muffled voices in the background. One was unmistakably Iruka, The other Kakashi took to be the boss Iruka was always talking about.

"Do you want to meet somewhere?" Iruka's voice was calm and soothing

"..The usual?"

Iruka's breath hitched in his throat.

"The usual" he confirmed.

The usual was the coffee house where they had first met. Kakashi was late for work and figure that he might as well stop and get coffee. Iruka was a regular there and stopped there every morning at 9. He always ordered the same thing. A scone and plain black coffee.

Kakashi had noticed him a few times when he had walked by, But thought nothing of it. At first glance Iruka seemed to be plain. But looking closer you'd see the little dimples in his cheeks when he smiled and the way his honey eyes sparkled when he talked about something he loved.

It was Monday morning and Iruka was sitting at his usual table reading a book. When Kakashi casually walked up and asked if he could sit in the only unoccupied seat at the table. You could tell Iruka was confused by the way his eyebrows knitted together.

The coffee shop was rather small and barley had any costumers. There were 7 empty tables surrounding the two men.

Nether less Iruka was polite and said yes. At first Iruka tried to go back to reading his book. He eventually started to fidget when he felt Kakashi's eyes on him. Sighing loudly he placed the book face down in the table.

"Is there something you need?"

"No nothing at all..its just that I lost my phone number. Would you be polite enough to give me yours?"

Iruka flushed . Whether it was from the lame pick up line or from astonishment that he was being flirted with wasn't clear.

Iruka had always been clear about his sexuality. He had never questioned whether it was right or wrong to be with man or women. Beauty was beauty. But Iruka had not been in many relationships. In fact he had only been in two.

"I beg your pardon?"

Kakashi leaned closer.

"Can I have your phone number?"

"You don't even know me!"

"Sure I do."

"You do?" Iruka's tone was skeptical.

"I know you come in here every day except Sunday and you always order the same thing. On Saturday you get a cappuccino instead of coffee. I know you're a social worker and you liked to read manga while you eat. I know..that I'm attracted to you."

Iruka was speechless.

"I think I should go.."

"Please don't--" it all happened so fast that anyone who happened to be looking their way had to wonder if it really happened. Somehow Kakashi's hand had slipped on the table and he had fallen forward. His face had conveniently landed in the piece of cream pie he had purchased.

For a tense moment Iruka stared. Before the corners of his mouth twitched up. He giggled quietly. Soon enough he was laughing so hard tears were springing to his eyes. His hands circled his stomach as he bent over from the laughter.

Kakashi smiled , and flicked a piece of icing away from his eyes. He eyed the laughing Iruka for moment then back at the icing on his finger.

A maniacal grin spread across his face. Kakashi took his hand and grabbed a handful of the mused icing from the smooshed cake.

He smiled sincerely at Iruka and then hurled it at the younger man,.

Instantly Iruka stopped laughing. He stared at the white blob on his black shirt for about two seconds before he lifted his head to stare at Kakashi.

Kakashi hoped Iruka wasn't too pissed at him. Kakashi jumped when Iruka started to giggle again. Picking as much as he could off his shirt Iruka reached out a hand and smeared across Kakashi's dark blue shirt.

Kakashi gaped and picked up the rest of his cake.

The next 15 minutes was spent laughing and throwing cake. Right after Kakashi admitted defeat they were kicked out. They stood outside of the coffee shop for a second before Iruka reached into his back ad pulled out a pen ,for a brief horrifying moment Kakashi thought Iruka was going to stab him. Instead he softly took his hand and in looping handwriting wrote his number on his palm.

He smiled kindly and walked away sucking icing from his fingers.

Kakashi smiled fondly at the memory. He sipped the latte slowly savoring its warmth. It wasn't long before he caught sight of the black shirt with the white logo on the chest. Iruka always wore the shirt to work.

Iruka looked a little worse than last time they talked. He had light bags under his normally happy eyes. Today they were unexpressive and gave away nothing. Iruka smiled at him. And sat down across from him. Obviously the memories were getting to him too.

"So..how have you been?" Iruka's voice was cautious.

"Fine"

Iruka sighed.

"Look Kakashi I don't have all day..what is it that you wanted"

Kakashi held back the urge to say 'you'

"Naruto..might be in trouble"

"What?"

Kakashi swallowed.

"Itachi…" he began. He stopped when Iruka visibly flinched at the name.

"What about him?"

"I think he's going to try to kill Naruto"

Iruka's eyes widened.

"W-why do you think that?"

"I don't' know for sure..but I do know Itachi"

The men sat in silence a second.

"You..really care for him.." Iruka whispered.

Kakashi didn't answer. It was apparent that Iruka thought it true.

"Not as much as I care for you"

"Please" Iruka looked down. "Please don't do this.."

"Iruka I love you so much.." Kakashi reached out to touch Iruka's still hand that lay on the table. Kakashi suddenly had a sense of déjà vu

Iruka snatched his hand back quickly, He used the back of it to wipe away stray tears that had fallen from his eyes.

"Thank you for telling me your concerns" Iruka rose. "I'll head over to Sasuke's right now"

"I'll go with you" Kakashi gathered his coffee and half eaten donut.

Iruka shook his head softly.

"If you don't mind. I'd rather go alone"

"But--"

"Goodbye Kakashi"

For the second time Kakashi felt as if his heart has been ripped from his chest. It amazed him how watching Iruka walk way made him feel so sad. Kakashi frowned when he felt the first sparks of self pity start to sink in. Kakashi shook his head mournfully and began to walk the other way, the coffee cup still clenched roughly in his hand.

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**Oohh is that a little angst I see? No it cant be! Oh YES..it is..it seems my dear friends that my story is coming to a end.. One..or two more chapters. Then I might do an epilogue. Then -sniffs- I'm going to do fluffy drabbles until I get the urge to write another long fic.lol. Ok..who wants to do a poll? I need to do something with Itachi..jail or death? I think jail might be too light of a punishment. I mean come on he killed Sarah! My muse!**

**Majority wins!**


	17. Scariest of scenarios

**Disclaimer: don't own don't sue**

**Chapter 17: Scariest of scenarios**

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**Someone told me long ago**

**there's a calm before the storm,****  
I know. **

**Its been coming for some time**

When its over, so they say, it'll rain a sunny day,  
I know.

**shining down like water  
**

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Iruka walked quickly towards the Uchiha compound. He had never been there before. But then again a lot of people who had never been to the white house knew where it was. Iruka alternated between walking fast and running. Pure fear urged him faster.

Upon reaching the house Iruka paused. The air around him was deathly still. It made Iruka nervous. Iruka ran a hand over his face and eyed the darkening sky. Night would soon be upon them.

Iruka knocked loudly. He panicked when he did not receive and answer. In desperation he begin banging his palm against the hard oak door.

He sighed in relief when Sasuke opened the door looking extremely pissed, the angry look quickly turned to surprise when he saw Iruka.

Iruka knew that he must have looked a fright. It was a long distance from the coffee shop to Sasuke's home. His hair had come loose form his usual pony tail and strands hung around his face. Iruka had no doubt that he was probably sweating buckets too.

Sasuke stepped aside and gestured with his hand for Iruka to come in. he nodded meekly and followed Sasuke inside. The inside of Uchiha mansion was exactly what Iruka expected it to be. The walls were plain white, in other rooms they ranged in color from beige to eggshell. All the furniture was plain, with little or no designs on them. All in all it seemed to be a very boring house.

Iruka let his eyes wander as he sat down on the couch. Sasuke offered him a beverage and he accepted. He sighed when Sasuke left to go to the kitchen. Iruka lay his head back on the top of the couch, and closed his eyes. When he opened them he gasped. On the ceiling was a beautiful painting. The painting was of a child with small white wings protruding form its back Iruka couldn't tell if it was girl or a boy. On top of its golden head there was two small back horns.

The child's expression as very confused. It seemed to be engrossed with something that was splattered on its fingers. On closer examination Iruka discovered that the substance was blood. Deep red blood . For the first time Iruka noticed the Childs background. Behind him it seemed to be an all out war. Flames were everywhere. Iruka could make out houses being burned to the ground, and he jumped when he realized that the black lumps on the ground were burning bodies.

"Itachi painted that" Iruka yelped and quickly turned in the direction that Sasuke was standing.

He held and clear crystal glass in his hand.

"Excuse me?"

Sasuke sighed.

"Itachi he painted that a few months before.."

Iruka knew that he was trying to say.

"It's beautiful" for some reason the word sounded wrong. Iruka did not know any other way to describe it. It was beautiful, but it was also very disturbing. It held such innocene..but then you looked again and you saw the pain and anger and hate. It was a very confusing picture. And Iruka did not know if he liked it or not.

"Where's Naruto?" Iruka asked desperately trying to change the subject.

"In the shower"

"Oh..ok"

Iruka locked away and busied himself with his water.

"Why are you here Iruka?"

The question caught Iruka off guard. Of course he knew why he was there. But he had to word this carefully. Anything said wrongly or if it was misinterpreted could get Sasuke hurt.

"I just came to see how Naruto was fairing"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you come all the way out here. You could have called. I know you know the number"

Iruka stared at Sasuke's impassive eyes. They held something he couldn't interpret.

"I know that. But I wanted to see Naruto for myself"

"You don't think he's going to be alright living with me?"

"No that's not it"

Iruka was saved the long excruciating process of explaining himself when Naruto walked down the steps, his blonde hair hanging limply around his face. Already it was rapidly drying. Naruto's face lit up at the sight of Iruka. He stumbled in his too big pajamas over to the social worker, and hugged him.

"Iruka!" he laughed . "YOU CAME TO SEE ME?"

Iruka couldn't help but smile.

"Yes of course I did"

Naruto laughed again.

"Do you like my pajamas? Sasuke lent them to me"

Iruka nodded.

" Are you hungry?" at Naruto's nod he continued. " I could take you out for ramen if you want"

"Really Iruka?" Iruka nodded again.

"No" Naruto looked at Sasuke.

"No?"

"That's what I said"

"Buuut Sasuke! I'm hungry!"

"We have ramen here"

"But its not the same" Iruka said quietly

"Why not?' Naruto whined.

Iruka's eyes pleaded with Sasuke to let him take Naruto and him out for ramen.

"I think its time for Iruka to go"

"Sasuke what the hell is you problem?" Naruto stood up, and stared hard at Sasuke.

"Why are you being so mean to Iruka?"

Sasuke murmured something under his breath.

"What?"

"He's trying to take you away from me"

Naruto blinked. He then began to giggle.

"Is wittle Sasuke jealous?"

Sasuke glared.

"Aww its alright' Naruto said still using that baby voice.

"If you want we'll stay here..its not a problem" he turned to Iruka " right?"  
Iruka numbly nodded, and looked around suspiciously.

"Yea..we'll stay here"

Sasuke rose an eye brow at the 'we'll'

Iruka smiled tentatively, and followed Naruto into the kitchen.

**Scene**

Kakashi groaned. He was in deep shit. And now Iruka was involved. There was nothing he could do. He wasn't stupid enough to call the cops. For a second he considered going to Uchiha mansion. There was a chance that Itachi was there waiting for the right moment. But then if he was..what would Kakashi do if he was suddenly given the chance to dispose of the man that caused so many people..so much pain. Could he do it?

When Kakashi got home from his meeting with Iruka he suddenly realized that maybe he did feel a little more for Itachi then he first thought. When thinking of the oldest Uchiha Kakashi felt a deep longing in his heart.

Kakashi had first started seeing Itachi when Itachi was a senior in high school. Kakashi hadn't been a teacher long at the school. Itachi did not have his class, but Itachi found ways to speak to Kakashi at school without seeming obvious. He was always running errands it seemed for other teachers.

After a while Itachi began spending his lunch time in Kakashi's office. Sometimes he brought food for both of them. Kakashi's first impression of the stoic Uchiha was that he was calm and sophisticated. Talks with him led him to think otherwise. Kakashi discovered the rage underneath the cool exterior. He saw the hidden rage. Kakashi often suggested that Itachi should talk to the school counselor.

Soon after the lunch dates Kakashi began to sleep with Itachi. It amused him how clueless the school board, and Itachi's parents were. After the death of Itachi's parents ,Kakashi and him began to separate. It started out small. Itachi would skip the lunch dates and go strait to the sex. After the trial in which Itachi was proven innocent Itachi packed up and left, a letter was all Kakashi got.

It didn't really hurt him as bad as he thought it would. Years later he had totally forgotten about Itachi. Sure they still kept the meetings whenever Itachi was in town.

Kakashi was a different man when he met Iruka. He was determined to put his past with Itachi behind him. But for some reason as soon as he heard Itachi's voice his will just disappeared. He fell deeper into Itachi's woven web, while falling deeper in love with Iruka.

"I love him" Kakashi couldn't quite place which 'him' he meant, but he wasn't going to wait around to find out.

Kakashi quickly let his apartment and headed in the direction of the Uchiha compound.

**Scene**

The silence at the table was deafening. Iruka sat across from Naruto, and next to Sasuke. Sasuke was fuming over his steaming bowl of ramen. Naruto was stuffing the noodles down his throat as fast as he could without choking.

Iruka had barely touched his own bowl. His eyes darted nervously around the room, and landed on the open window.

"Was that widow open at first?"

Sasuke's head immediately snapped in the direction Iruka was looking.

"No. it wasn't"

Iruka felt a chill go up his neck. Naruto stopped eating and watched as Sasuke walked over the window.

Sasuke peered out. When he saw nothing outside he pulled his head back in.

"Naruto did you open the window?"

Naruto shook his head furiously.

Sasuke shook his head.

"I'm going to go look around. Stay here" that was obviously directed at Iruka.

Naruto stood up quickly and trailed behind him nervously.

Iruka was left alone at the table. Iruka got up slowly and tried to make his way back to the room he was in earlier.

Iruka grinned when he saw the doorway that led to the living room. He walked in confident, that he had navigated his way back to the room. Iruka's smile melted off when he saw a tall figure sitting on the couch, gazing up at the ceiling just as he had done earlier.

"It took me a year to do that"

The voice was faintly familiar and Iruka found himself wracking his brain to figure out where he had heard it.

"What does it make you feel when you look at it? Do you feel anger too?"

It took Iruka less than a second to figure out he was talking about the paining.

_"Itachi painted that" _

Iruka froze.

"Itachi?"

The man ignored him.

"Of course father did not approve..of my painting I mean. he had a plan for me..and Sasuke."

Iruka began to inch back toward the doorway.

"But I guess..he didn't think it out all the way"

Itachi turned his gaze from the ceiling, and stared at Iruka. Iruka flinched at the empty look in his eyes.

"You had a plan too..didn't you Iruka?" the name sounded oddly evil on Itachi's tongue.

"Did I ruin them for you?" Itachi smirked.

"What are you doing here?" Iruka glared heavily. "Get out!"

"I don't think you have the authority to kick me out of my own home"

Before Iruka could blink Itachi was in front of him, a gun pointed strait at Iruka's forehead. Iruka was frozen with fear. He couldn't move, and couldn't breathe. His brain was telling him that he needed to get out of there, his limbs were not cooperating.

There was an audible gasp begin him. Iruka tensed when he recognized the long shadow as Sasuke and the little shadow as Naruto. Itachi apparently had noticed them also.

"Ah little brother. We meet again"

Sasuke was silent. Iruka had to resist the urge to turn around and gauge Sasuke's reaction.

A harsh knocking at the door startled everyone. No one moved. The gun was removed from his head.

"You" he pointed the gun at Naruto. "Go get the door"

Sasuke always knew his brother was fucking crazy. He never knew what to expect from Itachi. When they were younger Itachi would have random fits in which several maids and servants would get hurt. Sometimes Itachi would even go as far as to hurt himself.

Sasuke remembered this one particular time, where Itachi was cutting up his vegetables for him. Out of nowhere he froze. Sasuke had watched in rapt fascination as he took the tip of the butter knife and rammed it into his skin. He then started yelling, blaming his wound on everyone but himself. That was the first time Sasuke thought that maybe, just maybe there was something wrong with his older brother.

Naruto returned shortly with Kakashi in tow. Kakashi's face paled when he saw Itachi in the living room, gun back at its original position on Iruka's head.

"Ah Kakashi..come to join the celebration?" Itachi laughed, it was a sound that struck fear down everyone's spine.

"Well, you're just in time. Iruka was just going to tell us a story" he cocked the gun.

Iruka's eyes widened in fear. Behind him Naruto was crying softly to himself.

"Weren't you Iruka?"

Iruka sighed in relief when the gun was pulled away from hid head. He jumped when Itachi aimed at his shoulder.

"Weren't you Iruka?" the gun was coked again.

Iruka was shaking in fear. He didn't know what to do. A rational part of his mind told him to open his fucking mouth and tell the fucker a fucking story.

While all this was going though his mind , Iruka was painfully aware of the gun still poking at is shoulder.

"O-once u-upon a time"

Itachi was watching him intently.

"There was man." he watched Itachi intently, looking for any signs of anger. He found none.

"The man was a prodigy." Iruka's voice was steadily getting louder.

"But you see..no one knew that behind his cool walls. The prodigy was a coward" he stared harder at Itachi.

"He was a sad coward. One day that coward did something stupid. And he paid the consequences"

Itachi rose and eyebrow.

"What happened to him?"

Iruka smirked.

"He rotted in prison"

Seconds after he had finished the sentence he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He didn't have to look down to know that he was bleeding profusely. He cried out and clutched his shoulder tightly.

He heard his name begin called. With the last of his strength tried to call back to the voices. All he managed was a straggled gasp, and then it went black.

The others watched Iruka fall to the ground in horror.

Sasuke could barley control the urge to run over there and beat the living shit out of Itachi.

Itachi in question was standing there looking like he hadn't just shot Iruka, the gun still in his hand. His eyes surveyed the group. They gleamed when they landed on Naruto.

"Hello Naruto. That's your name isn't it? We haven't been probably introduced" Itachi's voice was deceptively calm.

"Come on Naruto. don't be rude"

Naruto stared. He had never been more afraid in his life. He took a deep breath.

"I don't fucking make friends with killers:"

Itachi rose an eye brow.

"Well isn't that ironic? Neither do I"

Sasuke flinched when Kakashi placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He looked up questioningly. Kakashi gestured with his head at the gun. Sasuke mouthed 'me?' Kakashi frantically shook his head and pointed to himself.

Sasuke stared in shock. So many emotions pouring out though his eyes.

Sasuke nodded.

Itachi made his way over Naruto. His steps were a little unsteady. When he reached the blonde boys he got down on his knees, So that he was level with him.

"You make Sasuke weak" he whispered.

Naruto shivered.

"I'm only doing all this for him you know. So he can be strong"

"But he is strong" he was surprised to find his voice was just as quiet as Itachi's.

"He has done so much, and has achieved so much"

"I know that" for a brief moment Itachi looked vulnerable.

He took the gun and slid it down Naruto's face.

"But you make him weak. Love makes you weak" Itachi cocked the gun. During there conversation the two males did not notice Kakashi sneaking up from behind Itachi.

Naruto noticed him first, and looked over Itachi's shoulder.

Itachi stared at him a moment, looking deep in Naruto's cobalt eyes.

In less than a second he had spun around, the gun was facing Kakashi now.

"Do not be foolish"

Kakashi glared.

"Give me the gun Itachi"

Itachi did not answer, instead he spun around and knocked the bottom on the gun against Naruto's head. Naruto's eyes instantly rolled back into his head. Sasuke started to make his way over to the fallen blonde.

"Where do you think your going?" Itachi glared at him. "Don't fucking move or "noble" over here dies"

Sasuke growled but continued to walk over to Naruto. There was sickening scream and Sasuke knew that he had been serious. Kakashi lay on the ground clutching his knee. Itachi did not glance over at Kakashi.

"Sasuke why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" Sasuke was furious now. He did not realize that he was yelling.

"Making yourself weaker."

Sasuke sneered and ignored his brother.

"You'll never be happy..if you remain weak and vulnerable."

Sasuke met Itachi's eyes.

"Someone once told me that Being happy doesn't mean having everything in your life perfect, it's about stringing together the little things..like drawing a good picture you're really proud of" Sasuke looked over at Naruto.

"Or taking a walk in the park, making those count for more than the bad stuff. Maybe all we can hope for in life is to get through it" Sasuke voice had lowered to whisper.

Itachi stared at him.

" You're pathetic" Itachi spat. " You will never be an Uchiha"

Sasuke glared.

"That's fine!"

"Do you want to kill me?"

Sasuke thought a second.

"Yes"

"Then here" he held the gun out. " Do it"

"Yes. I want to kill you. But I wont. I wont become just like you"

Itachi stared down at the gun a second.

"Then you can perish with the rest of our failure of a family"

Sasuke's eyes widened. In slow motion he watched himself reach out and try to wrestle the gun from Itachi's hand.

'BANG!'

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I'm going to end it here.oohh cliffy. This is for jack sparrow! How dare they cut off my movie randomly like that! Do you guys knows what it feels like to go and sit through a 3 hour movie..only to have a fucking cliff hanger? Well now you do! Haha!..so who do you think died? Because you know. Someone in this fic has to die..besides Sarah. That is! Lol ok so next chapter will be out..in like 3 days. Look for it ok?


	18. Exsisting In Memories

**Disclaimer: don't own !don't sue**

**Chapter 18: Existing in memories.**

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**Near …far**

**Wherever you are**

**I believe that the heart does go on**

**Once more you open the door**

**And you're here in my heart and my heart**

**Will go on and on**

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Sometimes we do things in life we do not mean, or regret doing later, when those times happen we always hope that we will have someone who will be there to pick up the pieces when things don't exactly go our way. but some people don't understand. It is human nature to regret things.

Sasuke and Itachi stared at each other with identical shocked eyes, the last wisps of smoke slowly dispersing

Sasuke felt the familiar scent of blood wash over him. The warm liquid was everywhere. On his stomach and on his hands, and it was taunting him. for a brief horrifying moment he thought that it was his blood, until Itachi's still form crumpled to the ground. A gaping hole where Itachi's stomach was.

Sasuke was in shock, without realizing it he fell to his knees beside his older brother.

"Itachi?. Itachi?"

Itachi's eyes were flickering, as the last of his life slowly begun to fade. His lips quirked up into a smile. A true smile. Sasuke was taken back. Itachi had never smiled at him.

"You did good..Sasuke" Itachi coughed, he ignored the blood now staining his teeth. Itachi opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted by a loud hacking cough that shook his form and made blood erupt from his tinted lips.

Itachi closed his eyes as his breathing leveled out, he looked almost asleep if one ignored the blood on his chin and the paler than normal pallor.

For the first time in thinking about Itachi Sasuke felt sad, he thought it ironic that the only time in his life that Itachi had given him praise was at his dying breath.

" You bastard" Sasuke mumbled. " I hate you! I hate you!"

Sasuke couldn't bring himself to cry for his older brother. even if he could..he wouldn't. Sasuke knew enough about Itachi to know that he would hate begin cried over. Sasuke hated his brother. Though ,he wasn't entirely sure if he hated him for killing their family or dying. but with Itachi lying there, unmoving …Sasuke could almost imagine that It was him.

"Sasuke?"

Kakashi met Sasuke's sad eyes. He didn't try to offer sympathies or sad stories to make it better. He knew that it wouldn't help Sasuke.

"I'll call the cops" Kakashi said, standing up with some difficulty to search the house for a working phone. Eventually Sasuke found the strength to crawl over to a still unconscious Naruto. The blow to the head had left a nasty mark. Blood slowly slid down Naruto's forehead.

In less than a minute Kakashi had returned and was making quick work of bandaging Iruka's shoulder. Sasuke noted that Kakashi's knee was still bleeding.

"I-I didn't want him..to really die" Sasuke held Naruto's body closer to his.

"It's different now that he's gone" he glanced over at Itachi. "Maybe..Itachi just needed to get away from it all. When I was young dad was pretty hard on me. I can't imagine what Itachi had to go through. Everyday to be around the same mindless people with the same mindless chatter, maybe that finally threw him over the edge." Sasuke took a deep breath.

"And he was counting on me to see it. I was his brother I should have noticed. But I wanted so bad for Itachi to be perfect. Because if he was perfect then maybe I could be perfect one day too"

"Nobodies perfect"

Sasuke laughed bitterly. "Yea.."

Sasuke smiled faintly when he heard the sirens in the distance. The Uchiha compound stood alone in the eastern part of town. Sasuke's mom had always said that she loved the house because you could hear a car coming a mile away, so she would prepared for a burglar.

"Come on" he picked Naruto up gently "The cavalries have arrived"

Kakashi followed suit, and picked up Iruka, minding his shoulder

The ambulance and the police pulled up as soon as they stepped out of the house. Sasuke felt a prick of annoyance when Naruto was lifted from his arms. He felt a spark of anger when the police brushed past him and walked into his house.

Sasuke was torn between riding in the ambulance or seeing Itachi being covered by a thin sheet, and seeing his body begin carted off.

In the end Sasuke ended up riding with Naruto in the ambulance. He held Naruto's limp had his in his the whole way.

When they arrived ,Dr. Cortez seemed pleasantly surprised, until she saw Naruto and Iruka begin wheeled in on stretchers. Sasuke was prepared to follow Naruto behind the swinging double doors where Kakashi had disappeared only moments before, Until he was pushed softly back by a young nurse.

"It's best you stay here" she said in a strong British accent, she eyed the blood splattered on Sasuke's face and shirt.

"Move aside" Sasuke growled, he could tell she was new. Everyone at the hospital who knew him wouldn't have dared held him back.

"I'm sorry I cant do that" she stood high on her tiptoes.

"Please have a seat in the lobby"

Sasuke's expression crumbled. He nosily walked back to his seat and sat down in a lone chair separated from the rest. that's how he had felt since he had met Naruto. He felt as if..Naruto made him someone special.

Sasuke buried his head into his face, he closed his eyes tightly to block out the blindingly white lobby lights and all of the 'what ifs' that threatened to spill over the brim in his head.

Before Sasuke knew it, he had drifted off into a frenzied dreamless sleep. For that of which he was grateful. He had no doubt that if he had dreamed, they would have been horrible.

**Scene**

Neji sat behind Gaara in world history. Before they had gotten together Neji had almost never paid attention to Gaara. He had noted a few times that he was there, and maybe a few more times noted that he was indeed good-looking, but he was insignificant. Now Neji couldn't keep his eyes off of Gaara.

The red head seemed totally oblivious to Neji's stares and was doodling in a purple sharpie on his desk. Everyone once in a while he would pick up the sliver sharpie and go over his previously drawn lines. Neji had the stupidest urge to write a note and throw it to Gaara.

Neji even began several notes before he crumbled them up in disgust Neji considered himself a very good writer. He had won the high school writing contest every year since he was a freshman. So why couldn't he write a stupid love letter?. Neji started again.

'Dear Gaara' he quickly scratched it out. 'Dear' sounded too girly.

'Gaara' ok good start. Now what?

Neji growled and buried his hands in his hair with was conveniently not in his usual ponytail. It tumbled down in waves around his shoulders and back.

Argh! Neji scribbled out another line.

The senior jumped when his name was called over the intercom .That annoyed him to no end when they called him up in the middle of class, but right now anything to take his mind off of this stupid note would be fine.

His teacher was confused when Neji practically ran out of the classroom.

Less than two minutes after Neji left Gaara glanced back at Neji's desk where thousands of little crumpled up papers resided. It had been bothering Gaara all class. At first Gaara had been able to ignore Neji's' eyes on him. But soon enough they made him nervous and Gaara began to doodle on his desk. It was a habit really.

Gaara looked around the room cautiously, good. No one was looking.

Gaara reached behind him and randomly grabbed the paper closest to him.

As quietly as possible Gaara unraveled the paper.

He blushed when he recognized Neji's neat cursive.

"Gaara." it read. "I love you"

It was so simple Gaara couldn't believe how much of a reaction it was causing from him. He almost wanted to grin. But that would give his already confused teacher an heart attack.

Instead he scribbled something and crumpled it back. He considered for a moment that Neji wouldn't know where to find it so he gathered the rest of Neji's papers and threw them in the waste bin.

Neji grumbled to himself as he walked down the hall. The office had just called to tell him that he had a student council meeting that afternoon. Who calls people to the office to tell them that? But then again he had missed the last 3 meetings. He was very bad student council president. Very bad.

When he got back to the class he took his seat, determined to get started on the note again. He flushed with anger when he saw that his whole desk had been cleaned. He glanced at Gaara who was writing in his notebook uninterested in him.

Neji's perceptive eyes finally spotted the only piece of paper remaining. Out of pure curiosity he opened the letter. He wrinkled his nose when the strong smell of sharpie reached it. Neji smiled when he saw Gaara's slanted handwriting.

'I love you too' the writing was bubbled in with red marker, and around it silver hearts danced around the page.

Neji must have looked stupid sitting there in class reading a crumpled piece of paper grinning like a maniac. But he honestly didn't care. In a frighteningly un-Neji impulsive act Neji stood up and pulled Gaara into a bruising kiss. He ignored the catcalls and disappointed groans all around him. Gaara smirked into his mouth and pulled him closer.

After a second or so Gaara just happened to glance over at his teacher. The poor man was on the ground passed out, a hand covering his chest.

**Scene**

Sasuke sat in that little blue chair for an eternity and a day. When they finally called and told him that he could see Naruto he had already assaulted several nurses, all in which Sasuke concluded that they were new. It was a good thing they were already at an hospital because Sasuke broke one of the nurses fingers. It seemed the nurses thought he was the one that had caused Naruto's concussion.

When Sasuke entered the room Naruto was awake and staring out the window, he visibly brightened when Sasuke walked in. The dim morning light made Naruto's hair stand out brilliantly against the cool white hospital sheets.

"Sasuke" Naruto's voice was scratchy.

Sasuke let out a breath he did not know he was holding, for some reason he had to blink back tears from his eyes.

In two quick strides he was in front of Naruto, hugging him with all of his pent up emotion and pain,

"Don't do that again" Sasuke sniffed. "Don't ever do that to me again. promise me"

Naruto nodded and let himself to be hugged. It felt so good to know that it was all over. All of it was ending. It was such sweet relief.

It was the feeling you got when you realized that your father would be home for Christmas, and that he wasn't staying in Iraq this year. It lifted your soul and carried it pure across the horizons

"I promise I won't ever unsuspectingly be beat in the head by a gun again" Naruto grinned.

Naruto wasn't a stranger to pain. Naruto was no stranger to hate and suffering, he had seen enough in these 17 years to last him a lifetime and beyond. But Naruto would never change anything in his life for anything. He did not regret growing up without parents, but Naruto knew that Sasuke regretted a lot of things, and so he vowed to always be here whenever Sasuke needed someone to...cry on

Sasuke knows that Naruto is strong, but he is not as happy as he lets on. Sasuke knows that sometimes that 'happy face' Naruto puts one each morning might crack, and he will need to be there to patch it up again….to patch Naruto up again. Sasuke knows that Naruto is there whenever he needs someone to cry on.

Down the hall stood Iruka and Kakashi. Iruka's eyes were sadder than they had ever been, but they held a silent resolution.

"I love you, you know" Iruka said suddenly, leaning awkwardly on the wall due to his bandaged shoulder.

"I know" Kakashi whispered. "You know I love you too?"

"I know" Iruka whispered.

The silence between the two was not awkward, but for the first time in ages it was just a comfortable silence. There were no nervous glances behind hair, and there was no fidgeting nervously. It was perfectly at peace.

"I don't forgive you Kakashi. It really hurt what you did" Iruka avoided looking at Kakashi's face.

In the past week Iruka had thought hard about the decision he was about to make. He was rather skeptical this was going to work. it's hard to gain back someone's trust. but when Iruka was shot he realized that life was shorter than anyone could ever imagine. you plan to live forever, and to die in your sleep, an old women or man, but sometimes life throws you these psychopaths with guns and your dreams can be shattered in an instance

Iruka decided that he wasn't going to live life wondering anymore. wondering what could have been, and what might have been. Iruka decided that he was going to make his own future, on step at a time.

"But I think..that it will hurt more to be without you"

Kakashi's face lit up.

"So. you'll take me back?"

Iruka paused for along moment. His eyes held a uncertainty that made Kakashi nervous.

"Yea..I'll take you back… but if you hurt me again…" Iruka held up a fist in warning.

Kakashi whooped in joy and pulled Iruka into a tight hug, abandoning his crutches on the floor. Iruka gasped in pain and Kakashi quickly let go.

Iruka laughed. "I don't think I can survive your hugs just yet"

Iruka met Kakashi's eyes and smiled, a true happy smile.

Kakashi offered a tentative smile in return

It would take a while to go back to the way things were before..the lies and the hurt. Iruka knows that he is probably going to be angry a lot this year. And Iruka knows that sometimes he will feel as though he should just leave Kakashi.

Kakashi will feel as if he is walking on eggshells around Iruka, and Kakashi knows Iruka will bring up Itachi in many of their upcoming arguments. Sometimes he will fell as thought it is not worth it. But they could handle it. They would get through it.

It is human nature to regret things.

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**That was my last chapter -looks at it mournfully- I think I'm going to miss it. For some reason I'm crying. I feel such emotion right now…I cant explain it..but I want you guys to know what I am so happy that I have people who like my story enough to review. hey!..did you notice the Gaara /Neji fluff? So..um.I guess this is goodbye..UNTILL I POST THE EPILOGUE TOMORROW! and if I get 300 reviews I'll write a sequel! promise!**


	19. epilouge

**Disclaimer: don't own don't sue**

**Epilogue**

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**Love can touch us one time**

**And last for**

**A life time**

**And never let go**

**Till we're gone**

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Sasuke placed a flower on his parents graves. The dirt felt firm and soft beneath his knees. Sasuke smiled, before he placed a single daisy on Itachi's grave. He had requested that Itachi be buried in the Uchiha gravesite.

Naruto stood awkwardly behind him, he was busily tearing off pieces of his paper and letting it drift off in the wind.

"Dobe..we have to get going. Iruka was expecting us 30 minutes ago"

Naruto smiled brilliantly, and placed his own flowers on the graves.

Iruka and Kakashi had been living together for a few months now. It was funny really. Iruka had asked Kakashi to marry him at Sasuke's birthday party. It was a shock to everyone, not the fact that they were getting married but the fact that it was Iruka who had proposed.

The couple now lives an a big nice house with a white picket fence and a dog named Rove. Iruka and Kakashi are adopting their frist child in may.

Neji and Gaara who were graduating this year retired with a bang. Turns out Neji missed that student council meeting after all. He was demoted to secretary instead..Gaara took his place at SC president. They didn't talk for 3 days, but then again the make up sex was wonderful.

Kakashi went back to teaching a week after the incident. His leg wasn't healed completely yet, but he was walking fine. Unfortunely that did not stop him from telling his class that he couldn't teach due to the "pain of his wound" .

Iruka quit being a social worker. Iruka loves working with children, but he wanted a Job where he had more time to be with the ones he loves. He now works at the same coffee shop he first met Kakashi at. If you go there on Wednesdays and Thursdays he'll add extra whipped cream to your latté. Tell him I sent you.

Naruto was dragged kicking and screaming back to school, with Sasuke's help he managed to make up all of his missing assignments in a week, he didn't turn them in however till a month later. For some reason the papers just kept being damaged when they were "studying".

Naruto is now the second smartest in his junior class…next to Sasuke, of course. Unfortunely the two boys have detention every Friday for the rest of their lives, for skipping the first one.

Remember Dr Cortez? Well she became rather fond of Naruto and she visit's the Uchiha estate every Tuesday when she gets off of work. Naruto can now give brain surgery with his eyes closed. Sasuke is going to be his first patient.

Tsundae pulled some strings, and found out some background information on Shadow. Naruto is planning on visiting her sons in a month with Sasuke. Shadow's mirror sits proudly in their bathroom.

Naruto still works on his art, he is inspired a lot these days. In fact Jiraya entered his latest piece in the school wide art competition. He won first place. I guess naked paintings of Sasuke go far these days.

As for Naruto's and Sasuke relationship. It couldn't get better. They have fallen into there roles as if they were meant to be this way. Sasuke wants to propose as soon as he graduates. He already brought the ring.

It turns out Sarah did not die in vain. Her story is now famous all over the world. In fact, lifetime is making a movie on her life coming out in October. It's called 'behind grey eyes'

There are lessons in life we need to know..most of them we learn as we grow. Naruto and Sasuke learned that the most important thing in life..is accepting what it throws it at you. You have to let the paper..brown.

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**There it goes..the real end. I'll start the sequel tomorrow. Though I have no idea what it's going to be about. I didn't expect to get 300 reviews -sweat drops- thank you for reading, and sticking with me all 18 chapters!I love you guys**


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